


The Sun is Almost There

by InsomniacPenguins



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Comfort, Excessive use of the word fuck, Good Dog Sumo (Detroit: Become Human), Graphic Violence, IM KIDDING ABOUT MR KRABS DONT WORRY, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Abuse, Possibly triggering?, Post-Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Slow Burn, Torture, also all this violence ONLY happens in ch 5, also criticism is greatly appreciated, also hi mom, also its been a LONG damn time ive written fanfiction, also tina chen? legend, and Gavin, and boy this IS gonna be slow burn and it IS gonna be angst, good dog sumo??? well get ready for great dad hank, honestly hank probably needs to get a leash for connor because, i dare say, i just love dbh, i love gavin, im only straight for like 3 people, im so sorry yall all these new tags for chapter 5, in fact im STRAIGHT for gavin, it came to that, just shout out for giving birth to me, longterm this is gonna be convin but dont @ me, memes are the things that connect us all, not betad and i wanna die, shes not really here reading this, we been knew he IS gonna get in trouble, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-06-11 18:03:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15321183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsomniacPenguins/pseuds/InsomniacPenguins
Summary: !!I’m currently rewriting this fic (as well as all of my other fics) bc i’ve been severely unhappy with quality for a while!!Thick.Like being half buried, underneath sand. Like trying to raise a hand under water, or trying to move against a strong wind.Connor’s eyelids opened slowly. Stasis was no longer necessary.





	1. Prelude - 1;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im claves and welcome to mmmy bullshit, this is the first time, like, writing in awhile.  
> idk  
> i wrote this over the course of 2 days, im a pretty slow writer for less than 1000 words, i just find myself going back on lots of moments over and over again to edit and fix them up to my liking

Thick.

Like being half buried, underneath sand. Like trying to raise a hand under water, or trying to move against a strong wind.

Connor’s eyelids opened slowly. Stasis was no longer necessary.

 

The android slowly sat up from the bed, and stood. His internal clock told him he had exactly 9 minutes and 48 seconds to get ready as eyes mapped the room for his path. First course of action- he needed to change.

 

Getting dressed wasn’t necessarily a difficult process, though Connor found himself having difficulties with choosing clothing sometimes when several options were present. Notifications were being sorted and deleted in his vision as he grabbed his CyberLife jacket, draped over a chair neatly tucked into a desk. Ironed from the previous night. Hank had offered to buy him other clothes. He’s denied the offer several times. It wouldn’t settle well with him if the Lieutenant constantly used his own money on Connor.

 

He dressed quickly as he thought. 

 

Now with 7 minutes and 16 seconds to get ready. Feed Sumo, he instructed himself, the notification of a new task appearing in the corner of his vision. Connor left his room and entered the kitchen. He made a sound that resembled a groan at the sight of dishes that were messily stacked in the sink, needing cleaning. He’d tend to them tonight. “Feed Sumo,” he reminded himself, muttering quietly.

 

The pantry door creaked, and Connor knelt, picking up the bag of dog food before filling the bowl that sat perfectly perpendicular to the cabinets it was in front of. 

 

“Sumo,” he called, and the dog stood from his bed, before sauntering over to food bowl and immediately leaning his head down to eat. Connor reached over, scratching the dog’s head behind his ears for a moment. 

 

5 minutes, 52 seconds. 

He put the bag of dog food back inside of the pantry before heading back down the hallway, toward Hank’s room. His next objective. 

There was a 2% chance that Lieutenant Anderson would be awake at this time, he’d need to wake the older man himself if they had any hope of getting to the precinct in time.

 

Connor burst into the room, and spoke quite loudly- yelled really- “Good morning, Hank!” His lips spread into a goofy smile as the man grunted before shifting on the bed. He wasn’t always cooperative.

 

Connor walked further into the room, drawing the blinds as gentle, dim light was brought into the room. It's as if the sun itself was struggling to wake. His grin grew more gentle as he continued to stand in front of the window, looking out at the street. At the sky, barely growing lighter in blue as gentle clouds ghost the surface. At the few birds perched in trees and atop houses. 

 

After a moment, Connor could hear Hank groan beside him in annoyance, “Can’t you just let me have my damn sleep,” he grumbled, attempting to sit up, managing to get to his elbows at the very least. Connor turned to look at the man, posture stiff, smile not fading.

 

“We have to be in at 7, exactly 55 minutes and 7 seconds remain.” He said matter-of-factly. The android strode to Hank’s closet, going through the shirts he had. “What do you want to wear today?”

 

The Lieutenant made a quiet grunt as he soon appeared beside Connor, scratching his back, “I can dress myself.” Connor nodded.  _ Of course he could. _ “Can ya’ just make me a cup of coffee?” Simple enough, the android turned, leaving the room.

 

New objective: Make Coffee.

 

It was quick work, starting the coffee maker was an easy task. It seemed Hank had some inward resentment when it came to Connor attempting domestic tasks. He chalked it up to the fact that android’s sole purpose was to serve humans a long time ago, however he  _ wanted  _ to help more often than not. Anyways, it didn’t take long for Hank to appear from the hallway. Bags prominent under his eyes, and voice akin to gravel. At the very least the Lieutenant brushed his teeth, he noticed his jaw newly wet and his shirt had water stains, in varying shapes and angles of hands.

 

“Let’s go then,” was all the Lieutenant said.

Connor was ready, excited even, to go back to the Detroit Police Department, and he knew it showed on his face as he approached the elder man with a travel mug, filled with coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr is claw-vase if u wanna talk to me or follow, i post art and memes and updates for when i put up new stories and chapters and stuff like that


	2. Overture - 2;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for coming to my bullshit pt 2,  
> also, in the tags i said im only straight for 3 people, and i tagged it as tom holland, and mr krabs and IT AUTOWENT TO TOM HOLLAND-FREEFORM AND MR KRABS-FREEFORM SO THATS WHY IT RANDOMLY CUT TO IM KIDDING ABOUT MR KRABS BECUASE I HAD TO DELETE TOM HOLLAND AND MR KRABS BECAUSE OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE THEM AS CHARACTERS TAGGED AND I COULDNT  
> HAVE  
> TH AT

The drive felt long.  _ Too long. _

Later, rather than sooner.

 

He was absolutely giddy with excitement- and fear, if he was being honest, of what would await him now that he would be making a reappearance. This time as an equal.

 

At some point, Connor had found himself sucked into his own thoughts as he stared out the window. Glass buildings of Detroit reflecting orange glow onto  pavement, people, and each other. 

 

He found comfort in watching the morning sun.

 

Eventually, the car pulled into the parking garage near the precinct, and the Lieutenant switched off the ignition, giving Connor a look. He seemed nervous. Probably about Connor coming back to the department. Probably more so than Connor himself felt.

 

“Are you sure?”  _ He was. _

 

“I’m prepared to start working again.”

 

“But there’s so many other things you could be doing, Connor.”  _ He didn’t want to do anything else. _ Connor didn’t say it, they just sat for a moment in silence before Hank huffed. “Well, c'mon,” and they both left the car.

 

Connor had a feeling in his abdomen as they made their way to the DPD. He told Hank about it, it grew with discomfort as they came nearer to the source, like an uncomfortable lump, strain, tightening and coiling inside of him. All the Lieutenant told him was that it was normal.

Hank entered first, and the android took the moment to adjust his tie before giving a quiet sigh and stepping into the hub.

 

He glanced around as he made his way to the desk across from the Lieutenant’s, he saw a few people that he had recognized, and there were a lot more desks. Mostly lined up against the front of the room, where the docking stations once sat, where previous androids used to stand, waiting to be used in basic tasks for crimes. They had desks now, the one’s that chose to stay, at least.

The thought brought a small smile to him, barely gracing over his features before he drew them back into a line once again.

 

Some of the previous desks' name plates were replaced, more than likely, humans that had quit, or been laid off for one reason or another. Connor sat down at the desk across from Hank’s. It was still empty, he assumed. No name plate. 

 

If anything, Hank probably kept it free for the sole purpose of Connor returning to the DPD when he expressed interest shortly after the revolution. Hank hasn’t sat yet. He probably went to Captain Fowler’s office first.

 

“There’s a face I didn’t expect to see again,” a woman’s voice. It seemed to be directed to him. He turned to the source, a brief scan told him it was Officer Chen.  _ Shit _ , he briefly scolded himself. Hank told him it was impolite to analyze people without their consent.

 

She kept walking though, not hesitating other than making a glance over her shoulder. It appeared she was only thinking aloud. Connor’s LED flickered yellow shortly before  returning to blue, perhaps this was going to be the impact he would have on everyone that recognized his presence from before the revolution.

 

Hank stepped out of the Captain’s office a moment later. His assumption was correct. He seemed to be in a positive mood as he walked over to his desk, seating himself with a huff before speaking, “Alright, Connor, you’re gonna be with me on a case,” _that was a relief._ “Fowler agreed with me when I said that you should start by working with me.”

 

He smiled without entirely meaning to. He still wasn’t used to his body making involuntary motions quite yet. “That’s good to hear. Is information about it present on the Terminal?”

 

The man started typing for a few moments before glancing to him, “It is now. Give yourself a minute to look over everything.” Connor nodded, before he looking over the machinery in front of him, and his hand’s synthetic flesh dissolved to show white underneath. It only took him a few seconds to scan all of the files present.

 

The android’s LED changed to yellow briefly, as he processed the information. The victims were diverse in race, gender, and there were even a balance of androids and humans. “The victims, they aren’t consistent.” Connor pursed his lips to the side, furrowing his brows briefly before continuing, “the only things they have in common are dot markings on their bodies. Made by the culprit.”

 

Hank licked his lips briefly, before nodding, “They were made by cigarette burns, minor stab wounds, bruises, mud, you name it.”

 

“The markings have similar patterns, but none of them are truly identical.” Connor’s LED continuously spun yellow as he thought about everything. “And there’s no evidence on whether the culprit is an android or human. Where are the statements from the victims?”

 

The Lieutenant glanced over to another desk, and the android didn’t hesitate to follow the trail of his eyesight to a certain Detective Gavin Reed, speaking to a Officer Chris Miller. “Reed’s got ‘em, I can get them for you though. The man was an asshole to you last time I checked.” Connor gave Hank a reassuring smile before standing.

 

“I can handle myself, Han-” Connor cut himself short before finishing, “Lieutenant.” They were not home any longer, the title was better option, considering they were at their workplace.

 

“No need to be professional,” he responded with a wave of his hand, “you’re my son, nobody random.” Connor only gave the Lieutenant a curt nod, they both knew he wasn’t going to listen, it’s better to stay professional in this setting.

 

Detective Reed didn’t appear to be particularly busy, speaking to another human, Officer Miller, he recognized. He's laugh-crying. It appears the topic is not work related. He began to approach before standing in front of the two, opting to wait for either of the men to notice his presence, rather than interrupting them. It took Miller only a moment for him to turn to Connor, giving a quiet, breathy 'oh shit’ with tears staining his face.

 

Detective Reed glanced at Connor before continuing to speak to Officer Miller, only for a moment. It appeared Connor hadn’t registered in Reed’s mind. “Holy fuck, Plastic,” Gavin said, surprise evident in his tone as he whipped to look back up at the android. Reed’s expression slowly grew into that of interest, lips curled in a smirk. His eyes were half lidded as he continued to stare at him, as is he were bored by his presence. “And here I thought I’d never have to see your pretty face again.”

 

“I’m just surprised you still can see after our encounter in the evidence room,” Connor quickly shot back, earning a snicker from Officer Miller. The reaction gave him brief triumph as he watched the detective send Chris a dirty look. “Now, can you please give me the statements from the victim’s of the kidnappings? I’ve been assigned to work on the case alongside Lieutenant Anderson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr is claw-vase, art memes and updates are put up there, as well as announcements for when i'm gonna start/am streaming my art if any1 wants to drop those too. friendly faces are also certainly welcome
> 
>  
> 
> also tina chen a trans woman, headcanon of the day  
> i love background characters so much idk why
> 
>  
> 
> also i sometimes have difficulty with my sentence openings. i try to avoid going "he did that. he did this. he's dead inside."
> 
> i dont have a lot of writing experience, criticism, tips, and compliments are welcome


	3. Adagio - 3;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i have 2 very short playlists here if yall want them to read to. the first is for the first instance w the aux cord, the second is with the second, obvs
> 
> 1 (3 songs): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTAmjoGO8HmypGFBA7kCL-dLFWa7mc6Dr
> 
> 2 (2 songs): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTAmjoGO8Hmw_wKW9kS8Z-1VIVwkOrNiI
> 
> thanks for coming to my tedtalk

The Detective didn’t question much else. Didn’t pressure him, as he gave Connor the notepad. The outside was a crisp leather, lightly decorated with few stickers, and pen indentations. Connor weighed it in his hand for a moment. Reed told him the pages that were related to the case, before giving him the ‘Cold Shoulder,’ as Hank called it. The android chose to ignore the relevant pages anyways, slowly flipping through the entirety of its contents. It seems Detective Gavin Reed has the habit of writing lyrics in empty pages.

 

It wasn’t necessary, maybe even inappropriate, for Connor to explore the contents of the man’s notepad. He was likely taking a suspiciously long amount of time by now. He located the victim’s statements and locked them in his memory for later use.

 

He put the notepad down on the desk, beside Gavin. "Thank you for your help, Detective,“ an annoyed grunt from Reed. "I look forward to us working together in the future.” No response. Connor stood there for a moment, the silence was heavy, his presence wasn’t particularly appreciated, he could tell.

 

As he left, he could hear Officer Miller resume the conversation. “Connor-?”

 

“Can’t believe the sonofabitch is back,” a scoff.

 

“He staying?”

 

“Who knows.”

 

At the very least, the encounter didn't end in punches thrown. He rounded Hank's desk, before leaning against it, behind the desk’s owner. Oh, he hadn't noticed it earlier, the tack board that once had anti-android slogans was now Polaroid images of Connor, Sumo, and Hank. Seeing it made him feel... Nice. He couldn't keep in the gentle smile that had spread across his face, and as he observed it, his hand ghosted over the board as it ran lower, reaching a photograph tucked neatly into the lower corner, on the farthest end. Cole Anderson, he recognized. Somehow, seeing the image invoked a nostalgic emotion from him, despite the fact that Connor himself never met the boy. Connor had to pull his eyes away, looking at the photograph for a prolonged amount of time caused a tightness in his throat, despite no invasion in his oral cavity.

 

“Lieutenant,” he called. The man turned to his voice, before giving him a warm smile, “I find the fact that the victims remember little to nothing disturbing.” Connor brought a hand to his chin, expressing thought.

 

“We’ve already concluded that the humans were drugged prior.”

 

“Androids cannot be drugged, however.”

 

“They had corrupted memory.”

 

“So it’s likely that their memory was wiped?”

 

“That’s what we’re thinkin’.”

 

“That kind of machinery is illegal and hard to get your hands on.”

 

“Yeah--, hey, sorry to ask again, but can you go and get me another coffee?” Connor nodded with a smile.

 

“Of course, Lieutenant.”

 

He entered the break room, and heard a woman’s voice call to him, "Connor,” she started, and the android quickly turned to her voice. She gave a kind smile to Connor as he approached her leaning against the tably. He returned the expression, “You’re back.” She spoke softly to him, she appeared to be inviting him to conversation.  
  
“I am,” he made a short attempt at humor, in a redundant sort of way.  
  
She gave a quiet laugh, and tucked hair that wasn’t quite held up in her bun behind her ear. The woman briefly looked away before speaking up, “Listen, I just wanted to say, I’m very sorry,” Connor’s eyes analyzed her face, his LED spun gold as he tilted his head to the side to simulate intrigue in her apology.  
  
“You’ve not done anything to apologize for, Officer Chen.”  
  
“When Gav–, Reed, treated you very… Poorly,” Connor’s head nodded slowly, it seemed she experienced guilt over Gavin Reed’s antagonizing attitude.

 

“You were not at fault, you have no reason to feel blame.” She noticeably shifted at his words, perhaps they caused her some discomfort. It didn’t matter, even if androids had been considered alive at the moment, Tina Chen was responsible, it was Gavin Reed that had assaulted him.

 

There was a silence between the two of them for a moment, the woman was trying to find her words, “It wasn’t right of me to only watch. I should’ve said something,” she spoke, placing her cap on the table beside her.

 

“You’re… Forgiven, I feel no ill toward your inaction.”

 

“Connor?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“What are you doing tonight?”

 

“What I always do at night.”

 

“And that is-?”

 

“I stay at home and potentially make dinner for Lieutenant Anderson.”

 

Officer Chen licked her lips, there was a short pause before she started. “I’m going to the mall tonight with a few other people from the Department. You should come.” Connor couldn’t help but smile at the invitation.

 

“I’d like that,” he’d never been invited to social activities.

 

“What’s your number?”

 

“RK800.”

 

She laughed hard, before covering it with a cough. It seemed like she was waiting. Connor was too, the two waited for the other, staring between each other until Officer Chen had visually realized with a brief second of widened eyes, “You do have a phone, don’t you?”  


“I do not, however I am able to make direct calls to emergency lines.”

 

Quiet, once again, before Tina Chen filled the air, “You live with the Lieutenant, right?”  
  
“Correct.”

 

“Okay, uhm,” she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she tried to find a reasonable time, “5:30, I’ll come get you, is that fine?” Connor only nodded in response, he estimated that he would have approximately 49 minutes and 26 seconds to prepare.

 

“I might have the boys with me,” the boys? “They can get a bit rowdy, just a warning.” She finished with a smile, before putting her cap back on and walking out. “I’ll see you later, Connor.”  


Connor didn’t respond, he only watched her leave. The moment she disappeared from sight he couldn’t help the smile that spread over his lips. He was excited. His heart felt like it was beating abnormally fast. System diagnosis told him that was untrue however, and his hand raised to his tie, it felt tight and constricting around his vocal unit. After regathering himself, Connor put started up the coffee maker.

 

He didn’t see Officer Chen the rest of the day at the precinct, it was probable that she had left as soon as their conversation had ended. After their conversation, Connor had been noticeably absent, Hank had poked him about it a few times. He didn’t tell Hank, he was concerned how he would respond.

 

The second his internal clock told him that his hours were over, Connor turned off his computer without hesitation. “Lieutenant, our time is over.” Hank glanced at him, before speaking himself.

 

“Correction, _your_ shift is over, I’m still stuck here for a bit.” Connor visually grew uncomfortable. If he didn’t get home in time, then Officer Chen would be disappointed that Connor wasn’t available, and it’s likely she would not invite him to social gatherings again. “Jesus, I’ll call you a cab, you won’t have to wait for me.” A sigh of relief. “Jesus, Connor, you don’t want to stay that bad?”

 

“I-It’s not like that, Lieutenant!”

 

Hank squinted his eyes in suspicion, but let the subject go.

 

It wasn’t long until Connor had got home. He ditched the CyberLife jacket, standing in the mirror with his dress shirts sleeves rolled to his elbows. There was something that was off putting about his appearance, perhaps he was too formal. At that thought, Connor removed his tie, and tossed it to the side. That was a bit better. He unbuttoned his top few buttons, let his shirt fall just barely open. This was optimal. If he hadn’t known better (he doesn’t), he would say his appearance was even attractive.

 

The time was 5:12:27, Tina Chen could show at any moment now. He understood that when humans said an approximate time, it was a very rough estimate. Many instances of Connor informing Hank that he was actually out for exactly 1 hour and 14 minutes, and not ‘30 minutes’, told him so.

 

5:31, his internal clock was screaming at him, perhaps she had felt it was a mistake to invite Connor. Maybe she had decided not to pick up Connor. His stress levels were slowly rising in response to his sudden anxiety. He knew it was irrational to think this way, but he couldn’t help but continue to feed into his thoughts, and his LED was a blaring red in addition.

 

He was snapped away from his thoughts as the door was harshly knocked on, that had to be her. Yellow.

 

Connor breathed out before slowly opening the door with a smile that quickly changed to a look of surprise. Gavin Reed was standing in his doorway, “Detective,” he spoke, this was not an outcome he foresaw. He saw past the man after a moment, Officer Chen was sitting in the car parked directly in front of the home, she was on her phone.

 

“Plastic,” the tone wasn’t necessarily hostile, in fact, he seemed more discomforted than anything, standing in the doorway. Connor smiled at the thought of Gavin uncomfortable. “Are you just going to stand there like, rustbucket?” He spoke rushedly, before turning on his heel quickly, and Connor followed.

 

“I am not a bucket, Detective.”

 

“It’s a joke.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“And you don’t have to call me Detective, we’re not at work.”

 

“Duly noted, Detective.”

 

He glared at the android for a moment as he popped open the car door, getting inside the passenger seat. Connor only smiled his same innocent expression, and got in, seating himself behind the other man.

 

Tina Chen pressed on the screen in front of her as the car started driving toward their next destination, the mall. She turned her body to look at Connor sitting in the back, seat belt clicking in place as she did so. “Okay, so, some things came up with Chris and he won’t be coming ‘till later. But we’re still going to meet my friend there so it’s not just gonna be us 3.” The Chris she was referring to was likely Officer Miller, Connor decided.

 

As the car was driving by itself, Tina opened the armrest to pull out a cord, connecting itself to the car’s radio, likely AUX, odd, only older models had AUX inputs. Connor paid careful attention to the woman passing the end to Gavin, who immediately groaned. “Why can’t you plug it into iPhone 46?”

 

“Androids are not Apple related products, Detective,” Connor countered immediately.

 

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

 

“Shut the fuck up, Gavin.”

 

“I’d advise you to listen to Officer Chen.”

 

“Fuck off.”

 

“Anyways, he doesn’t have a phone.”

 

Gavin whipped around and gave Connor a puzzled look, “What the fuck?”

 

“I have no need for one.”

 

“Bullshit.”

 

“What do you do for fun, Connor?” It was Tina, she pulled the topic away, probably trying to be considerate, perhaps she thought it was a sensitive topic? It wasn’t.

 

“I walk Sumo and perform certain domestic tasks.”

 

“Sumo?”

 

“Domestic tasks?”

 

“Lieutenant Anderson’s dog.”

 

“You didn’t answer me, prick.”

 

“I chose not to.”

 

“Okay, fuck you.”

 

Officer Chen giggled, and Connor smiled. Gavin only scowled, looking between the two, “Very funny, give me this.” Detective Reed snatched the cord from Tina and plugged it into his phone, before playing music from the 10’s. Odd time period.

 

The drive was relaxing to say the least, with the occasional banter. “Connor?” Chen. “Earlier you said you only did… Chores, for fun. Don’t you anything else?”

 

“I occasionally watch television. The news is always interesting.” She only stared at him for his response. Gavin turned to stare at him as well. They seemed shocked, “Is that not normal?”

 

Officer Chen and Detective Reed spoke at the same time. “It’s just odd,” and “fuckin’ weird,” merged together from the two voices. Connor was promptly embarrassed, he didn’t quite understand what it was to be ‘normal’. He hadn’t exactly communicated with other people for months. Occasionally he would get the postcard from Kara, but those were more frequent directly after the revolution. He figured she had moved on with life with Alice, he was probably too distant a relation to keep up with... And it also probably didn’t help that at one point he had tried to capture her.

 

“Do you have friends, Connor?” This time, Gavin was the one to question.

 

“Lieutenant Anderson.”

 

“He doesn’t count. He’s, like, your boyfr-”

 

“Father?”

 

“That’s even worse.”

 

Tina smiled as she glanced between the two before looking back forward at the street ahead. She adjusted the rearview mirror so that her eyes were locked with Connor’s, “I’ll be your friend, Connor.”

 

“Yes,” Connor looked down at his hands in his lap. “I’d like that.”

 

The three stepped out of the car as they arrived at the mall’s parking lot. He’d never been to a mall, it was… Busy.

 

“Okay, first, we’re gonna find Alex,” Alex? It took Connor a moment to realize that this was probably the friend that Tina Chen mentioned earlier. “She said she was waiting… In the bookstore.”

 

“Alex? Wasn’t she the fuckin’,” his eyes winced as he was trying to put the name to the face, hand raising to rub the bridge of his nose. “Uhh, the android right? Colorful?”

 

“Yep,” Tina responded without turning, walking down the parking lot toward the building. “C’mon boys.” And they did.

 

When they entered the bookstore Connor found himself quite literally in awe. He wasn’t used to seeing actual books. Only the glass magazines he’d encountered. “Where is she?” He asked, glancing around at the shelves, stocked full of books. There was a large sign that caught his attention, ‘Going out of business, 75% off,’ it read. If he had money, he may have just picked one up to read back home.

 

Tina was staring down at her phone, glancing up at Connor, before answering. “She’s checking ou-- there she is.”

 

Connor looked over the large desk that harbored multiple cash registers. An android, it was obvious not because she looked noticeably robotic, other than the fact that her limbs were all drastically varying skin tones. That’s what colorful meant. She made her purchase before turning to leave when she saw Tina standing waving at her across the store. “T!” She called while approaching the three of them, “Gavin,” she smiled.

 

“Alex.” Oh, he spoke her name. That was surprising to hear.

 

“And who’s this?” She was staring at Connor directly, and he couldn’t help the blue that was more prominent on his cheeks.

 

“This is Connor, my work… Friend,” she glanced to Connor and gently smiled.

 

Connor felt like his cheeks were on fire. “It’s nice to meet you, Connor,” she spoke, all smiles and voice gentle like silk.

 

“Likewise,” he responded, Gavin was still staring at his face, Connor could see it in his peripheral vision. Interest was apparent on his face. He turned to lock eyes with the Detective, who immediately looked away in response.

 

“So is there anyplace y’all want to go?” He couldn’t tell which of the women asked, he wasn’t really paying attention.

 

“I have to grab a dress for my sister’s wedding.”

 

“Connor?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Is there anything you need?”

 

“I’m just coming along.” Tina frowned for a moment. Did he say something that was wrong?

 

“Okay…”

 

It wasn’t long until Gavin, Connor, and Alex were speaking outside of the dressing rooms, while Officer Chen was changing between a vast range of dresses, all the color magenta, which led him to believe that magenta was the color that the bridesmaids would wear.

 

“So, Connor,” it was Alex, she was staring at him, “are you seeing anyone?” Gavin choked momentarily as the question was asked while he drank his beverage.

 

“Well I can see you.”

 

“That’s not quite what I meant.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I’ll take that as a no,” she spoke gently, turning as Tina appeared from the dressing rooms once again, “Oh, _that’s_ the one.”

 

He could again feel Gavin’s eyes piercing him. It was intimidating.

 

“I really like it too, I think I’m gonna get it.”

 

Connor wasn’t paying attention once again.

-

The two androids were left alone at a table in the food court, while Tina and Gavin got food. It was quiet between the two, as he was trying to find a conversation topic. Finally, he spoke, “Why are your arms and legs--”

 

She quickly cut him off, “Different tones?” Connor nodded in response.

 

“It’s not a pretty story.”

 

“You don’t have to tell it if you do not want do.”

 

“I don’t mind,” she responded eyelashes covering her eyes as she looked down. “It was before the revolution. I was… destroyed by punks. They ripped off my arms and legs and left me to die. Alone.” Connor’s eyes only widened.

 

“I was saved by a passing deviant. She brought me to the junkyard, she scavenged for arms, legs, for hours, looking to put me back together. The skin is the tones of the original androids that used them.”

 

He didn’t know how to respond, he only watched her, it sounded so scary. To be so completely hopeless. So close to death. “I’m sorry,” was all he could think of.

 

“I won’t pretend like it wasn’t scary. It was the worst feeling I’ve felt in my life,” with that, Tina and Gavin returned.

 

“Hope we weren’t too long,” Tina hummed before eating.

 

“You weren’t.” It was Alex again, she had the most sing-song voice, almost as if the conversation hadn’t even occurred.

 

Nightfall was near. Alex said her goodbyes as she departed from the three, leaving them to head to Tina’s car. “Chris didn’t show up, that’s too bad,” Tina said while pushing past the glass doors to the outside, sky dark from dusk. He found sunsets to be beautiful, it’s too bad he missed it.

 

“Trouble in paradise,” Gavin commented with a shiteating grin.

 

“Probably the kids.” Kids? Connor wasn’t aware Officer Miller had children.

 

As they entered the car, Gavin took the AUX and plugged in his phone once again. The 10’s, once again. It was relaxing, the music that Gavin played, he didn’t play heavy metal, which was one of the only genres that Hank played at home.

 

“Did you have fun?” Tina asked, looking over her shoulder to Connor.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good.”

 

The drive felt long as Connor watched twilight turn to night. It wasn’t truly night, though. The streets of Detroit were still bright under the dark sky.

 

8:52

 

The car turned onto his street, and Tina turned to him, “Tell the Lieutenant I said hi,” she said, a gentleness in her voice as she spoke. Connor nodded to her with a smile.

 

“Thank you, Officer Chen.”

 

“You can call me Tina.”

 

“Tina,” Connor corrected himself with a smile as Gavin turned around to look at him over the seat with a scowl.

 

“Motherfucker.”

 

“Detective,” he responded, smile twisting into a smirk. Gavin scoffed in response.

 

With that, Connor popped open the door and left the car before closing it behind him. As Connor stepped up to the porch, the car left and could be heard turning the corner in the distance. His smile grew large as he was alone. He couldn’t contain just how happy he was. It was thrilling, completely overwhelming even. As he approached the front door it opened slowly to a completely disheveled Hank.

 

Beer stained his jaw and he looked like he was trying to find his words between a range of emotions, including anger, confusion, and relief. “Get inside, now.”

 

“You drank.”

 

“Where the hell have you been?”

 

“I was out, I thought it would be--”

  
  
“Jesus Christ, Connor, you can’t just-- leave like that. Without telling me! I was so scared you might’ve died!”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Hank’s mouth opened and closed several times, he couldn’t figure out what he wanted to say. “Don’t let it happen again. Where did you go?”

 

“I went out with Officer Chen and Detective Reed--”

 

“That asshole out of all people?”

 

“I didn’t know he was going to be there.” He was pleasant anyways.

 

Hank sighed as he stepped forward, hugging Connor tight, “I was so afraid I’d lost you, son.”

 

“I’ll tell you next time.”

 

“You bet your ass you will.”

 

Connor let out a quiet laugh in response.

 

“I already made myself dinner and got Sumo more food, you should rest.”

 

Connor nodded before starting to head toward his room.

 

“Oh, Connor?” Connor turned to face Hank, with a quiet ‘hm?’

 

“Did you have fun?”

 

“I made friends.”

 

With that, Connor turned to his room, to prepare for the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i took a while to write this all. i wanted to spend more time improving my writing.
> 
> im also really proud of how i wrote the dialogue for connor, idk, im just so happy.
> 
> i also didn't beta read all that much so sfdhgajsbghasghasdgfnhas sorry for any mistakes!! (feel free to point them out and ill try to fix them with my next update!!)
> 
> and again, compliments criticism and tips are greatly appreciated, im so like, shook that i accidentally wrote like, triple what the first 2 chapters are together into the third adgadshgakdsjgadkg


	4. Crescendo - 4;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this post is me  
> https://acrazy-bitch.tumblr.com/post/175269668760/i-dont-ship-connorgavinrk900gavin-or
> 
> also i started on a convin playlist wig or whateva  
> this is a lot of gay and heartbreak and whatever, i need more hate songs i dont have any aghzgshsgs  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWsWFIsSlJI&list=PLCOgX8TW9tS9A7ZSaI5F3dp3InlQ_ZhKL
> 
> hooded kermit voice: make this a poly relationship
> 
> (im not gonna tho)
> 
> also i kind of rushed half of this after i made a very vague skeleton bc i wanted to get to the juicy bits in ch 5 (not porn i dont write porn im so fucking h for yall if yall want porn)
> 
> also im updating this as i notice problems so pls dont mind me abjsagzhsgs

The encounter with Hank had not gone quite to his liking, however he was glad that Hank hadn’t decided to tell Connor that he shouldn’t go out with others. It was probably foolish of him to have left without telling Hank anyways, he took full responsibility. Connor changed into sweats before laying down to enter stasis, plopping down onto the bed almost like a child. He was still so dumbstruck by the events of today. Officer Chen… Tina, told him she would be his friend. He couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face. He turned to face directly into the cushions. There was nobody watching him, but his cheeks heating up were so embarrassing, he couldn’t help but hide. 

Detective Reed was also pleasant today. He was less hostile than Connor remembered, and he had a pretty odd taste in music, music he had only ever heard from the radio being switched around looking for other stations. It wasn’t particularly bad, Connor actually did like it, he’d have to ask Gavin to share his music at a later time, despite the fact that he already scanned the audio. Gavin didn’t know that though. 

Rolling onto his side, he stare out the window that faced his bed, out into the night getting a few last thoughts before entering stasis. The future is something that held his thoughts, Connor was so used to having control, to having schedule, he didn’t know what could possibly happen tomorrow. As those last few thoughts slipped into the crevices of his mind, he fell to stasis.

Connor’s eyes slowly opened to reveal pitch black void, staring right into him. He felt the air in his bio-lungs tighten to nonexistence. The more he tried to breathe in, the more he felt his chest heaving in heavy motions. 

He was snapped awake, sitting up in a violent manner as his internal clock blared in every crevice of his mind palace. 6:00:01 AM. Connor raised a hand to his chest and felt his chest rising and falling 

His head was buzzing with the aftershock of dread in his gut. Ever since deviation, stasis brought nightmares that tore apart his form mentally, which was strange. Since stasis previously did not bring along ghosts of thoughts haunting his mind.

When he gathered himself, he started his new morning routine once more, dressing himself, feeding Sumo, and waking Hank. He insisted that he take a shower. Connor wasn't opposed, he at least was glad the man was taking his hygiene more seriously.

Connor grew impatient as Hank showered to help wake himself up, seated on the couch and watching the news. The moment the Hank arrived in fresh clothes, the android sat up, weary that they would be late.

“Relax, doesn't matter if we're a bit late.”

“I don't want you to get in any trouble with Captain Fowler.”

“You don't want to get in any trouble.”

“Maybe so.”

The drive was long, and the walk was short. The moment Connor stepped out of the car, he hurried into the precinct, checked in, and sat in his desk.

-

A few hours had passed before Connor watched Detective Reed enter the room, and he decided to put his plan into motion. Connor stood immediately and approached the man, “Detective,” he chimed, friendly toothed smile.

Reed responded without hesitation, not bothering to look up from his phone, “Alexa.”

Connor blinked, his thoughts reeled back for a moment. “I’m sorry, Detective?”

The reaction from the android forced a smug expression from Gavin, as he glanced up to meet his eyes, “it’s a joke,” he told him. Connor didn’t understand the punchline, he only nodded with lips slightly parted, barely making a ‘ah’ motion with his mouth. 

“What the fuck do you want?” Gavin finally asked him after a short pause, he wasn’t being particularly rude, Connor could tell from the tone in his voice. 

“I was interested in the music you had played yesterday.”

Gavin’s eyes were washing over his face, studying him for a moment, almost like he didn’t believe him. If Connor could sweat, he probably would be. “Okay, Plastic, I’d send you my playlist, but you don’t have a phone.” 

“I’m sure there are other methods, Detective.” For some reason the words felt bold on Connor’s tongue, like it was on the verge of taboo.

Eyes continued to look over his face, like the Detective could see right through Connor’s words. After some time, Gavin finally responded, he still had that smug expression, looking at him like a predator about to devour his prey whole. It made Connor feel small, smaller than he was at least. “My place then.”

Connor tilted his head to the side, “hm?” 

“I’ll show you my records.”

“Are you inviting me to come to your home, Detective?”

“Not if you call me Detective at my apartment.”

“Would you prefer ‘sir’?”

“Fuck off, robocop,” Connor gave Gavin a large, toothed, smile in return.

After a bit more conversation, a new officer timidly told Gavin that he was required at a crime scene, and thus left. 

-

It was the end of the day. Connor was patient, he understood that duty called whenever Reed had left the station to respond to being needed at a crime scene and waited for him to return. Hank offered to drive him home, but he informed him he was going to be out once again.

“Two nights in a row?”

“Is that not normal?”

“No- Yes- I just want to make sure you're being responsible.”

“I'm the very definition of responsible, Lieutenant.” 

Hank rolled his eyes and picked his jacket up before leaving with a wave. “I'll see you at home, Hank.”

“Don't be out too late.”

After about an hour of waiting, Reed finally arrived again. He appeared exhausted and was more than enthusiastic to leave.

The pair left in Gavin’s car after he gave a few goodbyes to notable officers.

-

As the car pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building, Gavin sighed- the kind of sign that showed he was relieved, likely to be home, he reasoned. Connor who was taking in the area. It wasn’t the prettiest place, it was actually on the worse side of town. He didn’t mind though, he dismissed the thought from his mind, social status didn’t matter to Connor. 

Gavin was the first to unbuckle his seat belt, hearing the door open with a pop, and Connor followed quickly, exiting the car. “T might swing by later,” he told Connor, who was still analyzing the area.

Connor nodded in response, it didn’t take much for Connor to guess that Officer Chen was ‘T,’ this was probably a nickname of sorts. Logically, it made sense, Alex even had referred to Tina as T when they first met her. “She lives in this building as well,” Connor said. It was spoken like a statement, not a question, he knew she lived here from previous analysis.

“She lives with me,” he corrected him, pointedly.

They made their way into the building, and Gavin immediately directed himself toward the elevator, and Connor followed close behind. The lobby was relatively clean, however paint was chipping from the walls, and there was a grumpy-looking, elderly man sitting behind a counter. He raised a brow at Connor through squinted eyes as they walked past, “Not another one, Reed.”

“Fuck off, Jerry,” spoke the Detective as they passed.

As they shuffle into the elevator, Connor glanced at Gavin, who was staring down at the buttons, before pressing a floor, which he assumed was the floor Gavin lived on, “another one?” Connor prodded, to Gavin’s distaste.

“It’s nothing,” he responded rather defensively. He didn’t ask again, and the ride was quiet, save for the gentle hum from above as the machinery pulled them higher.

As it reeled to a stop, and the door slid open, Gavin walked out first, looking behind him for a moment to make sure Connor was following, he was, and they walked down the hall until they reached the door that he presumed was Gavin’s apartment. Because he was already pushing a key into the lock, struggling for a few seconds as the lock got stuck in place. After a few rough shakes, the lock gave and the door opened to reveal to Connor the apartment. “Home sweet home,” he said, not entirely directed toward Connor, who entered the door, which Detective Reed had held open for him. As soon as they were in the apartment, the man closed the door behind Connor, twisting a lock in place.

It took a moment for him to pull his eyes away from the detective, who was looking at Connor rather sheepishly for his usual attitude, “It’s a mess in here, my bad,” he said, sounding a bit more embarrassed for Connor’s liking, he didn’t mind at all. 

As Connor raked in his surroundings, he took notice of every subtle detail. His living room was a single couch, claw marks and scratches decorating the leather, to any other eye from this distant, it probably wouldn’t be noticeable to many other eyes. Across the cough, in a corner, there was a small table, which was home to a somewhat large flat screen, it barely clung to the table underneath. Connor was just surprised it was able to stand on it, though there was a crack in an upper corner, probably from a previous fall.

Connor’s eyes followed around the room, tracing along the wall until it was met with a bookshelf that almost touched the ceiling. It’s shelves were stacked with knicknacks, books, and a plastic crate. Further analyzation reveals a series of vinyl records and CDs stacked inside. He couldn’t help but feel the desire to go through it’s contents.

Gavin caught him staring at the crate, walking over to the bookshelf, drawing it from the shelf and placing it on the couch. “Feel free to go through it and find something you like. I’ve got a record player in my room somewhere…” He trails off before walking deeper into the apartment, disappearing from Connor’s view. Being left alone, the android sat himself beside the crate, neatly sorting through the albums in his possession. 

He picked out the ones that interested him most, putting the rest neatly back into their original storage. After the sounds of rummaging stopped, Gavin’s head had poked around a corner, staring at him. “I found it, but I’d prefer to keep it in here,” he told Connor. He understood, a precious item like a record player was probably difficult to get your hands on, and there was less of an opportunity for it to be damaged if it wasn’t moved. The android stood up, carrying his selection as he followed into Gavin’s bedroom. 

The room took him by surprise. It was a tad bit messy but hardly noticeable, clothes slung over barely open drawers. And a queen sized bed sat against the far end of the wall, right beside a window, which led out to what was apparently a fire escape. The dresser which was planted beside the bedroom door was brown, worn, aged with time. Connor could see scratches along the top, this kept poking at him. There was evidence of a cat in the household, yet he had not seen the pet. “Gavin?” Hummed the android, voice light and charming. The human in question found himself sitting on his bed, with a remote in hand, scrolling through the guide as he searched for something that would sate him.

Gavin gave him a sound that he was sure was suppose to be a ‘huh’, yet was somewhat drowned out by yelling on the television. “Do you own a cat?” Connor finished, running a hand over the marks.

Gavin scoffed and Connor looked over his shoulder to find the Detective looking at him. “More like he owns me, the damn bastard...” Connor’s gaze drifted back lower to the scratches, running his fingers over them, feeling the dips. 

“Hey- uh, Connor?” Gavin started, the android turned to the voice once again. His LED was spinning yellow in response. This was the first time he’d heard Reed refer to him by his actual name, and not some derogatory nickname. It took a moment for Connor to actually grasp that he had attempted to get his attention, turning to the Gavin, he was almost as surprised as Connor had felt. 

“Yes, Detective?” 

He made a face at that, though Connor didn’t pay enough attention. He just understood it was a negative reaction. “Which one’s did you pick?” Oh, that’s right. Connor’s hand raised to reveal the records in his other hand, before walking over to the bed that Gavin was currently sitting on. He placed the sleeves containing the records beside him. There was a moment of silence as Gavin gently folded through them, drawing one, “Fuckin’ classic,” he said before biting his bottom lip. Excitement shone in his eyes, as he drew the jacket from the pile. Connor clearly read it as the No Vacation album, ‘Intermission’.

Connor watched as Gavin stood, carefully drawing the vinyl from it’s sleeve, and opening a box-like object on his nightstand which revealed itself to be a phonograph. Gavin gently pressed the record in place before bringing the needle in place, and started the system, record spinning steadily as the first song on the record play in the apartment.

Connor watched from a distance, watched Gavin sit down and continue going through channels, watched him turn to Connor with a strange expression. “You don’t have to stand.” Connor couldn’t help himself from the embarrassment that seeped into his mind, he wasn’t used to Detective Reed being so humane towards him.

“My apologies,” he started before sitting on the bed, the far end, to avoid sitting directly next to him, he was only testing the waters. Avoiding hostility as best he could. “I wasn’t aware you desired my comfort.” The android finished, giving a soft smile to Gavin, who glanced away from the television for only a second.

“Yeah, don’t get used to it,” he replied bitterly.

Somewhere along the line, an extremely fluffy, fat cat wound it's way into the room. It watched from afar, blinking lazily at him every few seconds. Gavin told him she could sense fear. He wasn't sure if that was true. “Where does she go when she's not here?”

“Bastard likes to chill in Tina’s room.”

It was 12 minutes and 52 seconds later that Connor heard the creak of the apartment’s door, and Tina Chen’s voice, distant as it was, could be heard. “‘M home!”

Gavin yelled in response, not flinching at the loud voice of Tina, “in my room, brought someone.”

“Jesus Christ, Gavin.”

“Not like that, it’s Connor.”

“Oh!” 

The yelling ceased as he heard hurried footsteps making their way toward the doorway, and Tina leaned against the doorframe, “Hey,” she greeted, with a warm smile. “What are you two doing?” There was a pointed glance at Reed for a moment, from the woman. Connor wasn’t exactly sure the implication.

“Listenin’ to music, watching shit.” 

“Well, I just picked up a movie… If you want to join, Connor?”

“What the fuck about me?”

“You’re like a tapeworm, I’m stuck with ya’ whether I want you or not.”

“Okay, fuck off, Chen.”

Connor found himself laughing in the exchange, bubbling up from his belly and erupting from him. Humor wasn’t something Connor had quite gotten a handle of, yet he found Tina and Gavin’s conversations to be quite… Funny. Like an old married couple, is a way Hank would describe their behaviour. A lot of his emotions he still didn’t quite understand, and he wasn’t even aware he could laugh to this extremity. For all Connor felt like he understood everything, emotions were still very foreign to him. Overwhelming at times. He felt like a child, learning something new about himself.

As Connor’s eyes opened from his laughter slowing, (when had he closed them?), he was met with Tina and Gavin looking at him oddly. They weren’t at each other’s throats like moments before. They seemed more curious, than anything. At least Gavin did- surprise was a better word to describe Chen’s features. Gavin was the one to speak when Connor felt his vocal unit stop producing sound, “Didn’t know androids could laugh like that.”

“I wasn’t aware either,” Connor responded, almost involuntary. He wasn’t thinking fast enough. He didn’t like not calculating his responses. “I’m sorry,” Connor could feel blue dust his cheeks, and nose with embarrassment that pooled in his core. It made him look away, he didn’t particularly enjoy vulnerability. 

Tina broke the conversation from Connor, she was considerate in that aspect, he assumed it was because she could sense his embarrassment. With a bit more bickering, they were now on the living room couch with Connor in the middle. He didn’t think that it could seat the three of them comfortably, yet it did a exceptional job. 

“Don’t be so stiff,” Gavin told him from his side. 

“I don’t believe I understand what you mean.”

“You sit like a robot. You have to sit back, dipshit. Relax a little.”

Tina spoke up to counter Gavin almost immediately. “Stop patronizing him.”

“I’m just saying, if robocop wants to act human he should get the basics.”

Those words made Connor feel bad. He wasn’t exactly sure what the reasoning was, what made him feel hurt. Didn’t understand how it hurt him, but he didn’t want to make a scene if at all possible, so he said nothing and settled himself back into the couch. Though it did continue to bother him.

It took Connor a minute to feel secure enough to slowly move himself flush to the couch. He didn’t want to move back too fast to disrupt the other two, who appeared lax, watching the movie. It was a horror movie, one that was comically bad, in his opinion. Still, hid he felt his regulator pulse hard in him as the suspense grew. 

A glance at the other two was enough to tell him that the other two had the human equivalent to his own reaction, hearts beating hard and fast as they watched the screen intensely. Maybe this was the appeal, being on the verge of fear. 

After it was done he realized himself being pressed into more by the two bodies that were beside him on the couch, and it was comforting, on a trivial level.

It was now 9:37. Quite late in Connor’s opinion, he’d have to leave soon. “I think I should leave,” Connor started while sitting up. “It’s late, and I’m sure Hank is worried.”

Tina nodded, “you’re welcome to stay if you want, Connor,” she told him.

It was a tempting offer, one that Connor almost took, if not for the conversation (scolding) he would receive from Hank. “I really shouldn’t, but thank you.” As the android stood, and slid on the jacket, he could hear the two humans whispering heatedly before the a cough was made pointedly, to draw his attention. 

Gavin stood up after Connor with embarrassment on his face, “hey, uh, do you want me to drive you home?” 

“I’m fine walking,” he replied, reassuring the man. 

“Well do you want me to walk you?”

Something in Connor made his pump stutter briefly, and he made the effort to give the other man a small smile.

“Yes, I'd like that.”

-

“I wanted to say, I’m sorry for what happened in the evidence locker, before the revolution.”

“You mean when I was still an asshole to you?”

“Was?”

“Very funny, Pinocchio.”

Connor giggled to himself and didn’t peel his eyes away from the street ahead, but he could still see him in his peripheral.

“I guess I got some things I need to apologize for too…”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Don’t make me beat the shit out of you,” he replied through obvious sarcasm.

“I just- I’m not sure why I hated your guts. Maybe it’s because you seem like you actually know what you’re doing? That you’re better than everyone around?”

“I don’t believe that’s true.”

“‘Course you wouldn’t, you’re too damn humble.”

Connor could feel the corners of his lips pull up at his words. “There’s plenty of things I am good at, Detective-”

“Gavin.”

“... Gavin. But being human is not one of them.”

“I don’t think you’re doing a bad job.”

Connor turned his head toward the other when he heard those words. Took in his details, analysed him. His heart was beating unnaturally fast, sweating profusely. He wasn’t sure why, it had been 20 minutes since the credits to the horror movie were rolling, those symptoms should’ve worn off by now. “I appreciate that.”

They kept walking in a comfortable silence in the chilly night air of Detroit.

-

As they rounded the corner to Connor’s neighborhood, he felt their pace slow to a halt. A process both of them voluntarily brought. For a second Connor just wanted to stand under this dim street light for a minute too long.

“Gavin?”

“What?”

“Thank you.”

There was a beat before Gavin’s cheeks flushed red, “Whatever, I didn’t do shit.”

As they turn, parting in the night to their homes respectively the last thing he heard was the whooshing of a thick object swinging in the air behind him before he blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mm,connor: Gavin, ur beat meat.
> 
> Gavin: im shaking and crying what does this mean
> 
> elijah: i have made androids  
> hank: you fucked up a perfectly good robot is what you did. look at it. it's got anxiety.
> 
> and again, i have a writing tumblr  
> claves-writes  
> as well as a main blog  
> @clav3s  
> ,,,,,,, i might open my writing one to prompts and stuff but idk,, i also draw a bit if i decide to post some of my drawings and sketches, none of them are actual like dbh characters tho, just studies and sketching original things, ofc i could always try fanart, its been awhile since ive done any fanart
> 
> AGAIN IF I FUCKED ANYTHING UP IN THIS CHAPTER PLS Tell me bc i rushed this and jumped around a lot when writing this so if things end oddly abruptly (more abrupt than i usually do pls point it out bc i probbaly forgot to go back and write a chunk)
> 
> also im SO sorry how much my writing changes from chapter to chapter, a lot of elements come and go for me as i change my style with each chapter sgjzhsjshs, i dont know what continuity is


	5. Fugue - 5;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay first: i went out of town for a concert so im SO sorry this took forever to update. i already started on the nxt chap bc i was going to originally wrap the beginning of the next ch into the end of this one.
> 
> anYWAYS, this chapter brings a lot of more darker themes, graphic depictions of physical violence, blood, some other stuff i probably forget to say, just know, stay safe if physical violence or anything like that can be triggering to you!!! i marked where stuff got really graphic so you can skip ahead if youre one of those people
> 
> | | |  
> || |_

Nov. 16th 5:32 PM.

When Connor came to, most of his interface was scattered in his eyesight, it made him want to close his eyes because of how much unintelligible information was clouding his vision. Slowly, consciousness caught up to him his forced stasis, and as he felt his internal systems start up once again, a significant amount of pressure throbbing from the back of his head made itself present. He reached a hand up to run his hand over the area, but his arm didn’t rise when he commanded and further inspection told him his wrists were restrained. Connor was suddenly very aware of his surroundings with fear circulating his artificial veins. He was bound to a chair, and his limbs wouldn’t budge when he attempted to move them. He could move his fingers, and wiggle his toes in his shoes, so at the very least there was that. 

His eyes scanned the room, dim, with a light that flickered rhythmically above. His hands tested his binds once more. Just barely enough room to wiggle his wrists, but not enough to pull them away at all. 

Where was he? There was no clear indication. Notifications were buzzing in his vision, and he was too exhausted to care, still recuperating from his blackout. The blow that landed on his head must've been hard to force him into a temporary stasis to calm his systems. 

It was the 16th of November? He’d been in stasis for… 5 days. The thought filled him with worry. He needed to get out of this situation as quickly as possible, Connor let out a shaky breath before trying to establish a connection to an emergency call line, hope filling him.

Until the line cut to a halt before it even began. It was likely this feature had been disabled by his aggressor. That or the buildings walls were too thick for a signal to escape. There was hardly anything for him to gather, hardly anything for him to do to escape. He felt hopeless, afraid, and helpless. 

His body involuntarily shivered under the stress of the situation. A reaction that he's never experienced, one he didn't want to feel more. His thoughts were interrupted halfway as a loud bang was registered in his audio processors outside of the room he was being held hostage in. The only sound other than the gentle flicking of the light that illuminated the blank room. 

How had he gotten here? What was going to happen to him? Thoughts buzzed within him once again. He couldn't stop thinking about how he got in the situation once he started. He and Gavin stood under that streetlamp. Together. So close, he could almost feel Gavin’s breath on his face again, in the chilly air of Detroit. The moment replayed for him, stuck in his memory drive. 

“Gavin?” He called, turning to look at the man. Cheeks and nose red from the cold. 

“What?” Gavin shot back, looking at him through the corner of his eyes with furrowed brows. He couldn't bring himself to not linger on the tinted cheeks of the man. A minor human nothing that added up with the hazy memories, and the sweaty palms, and bones cracking from too much rest to make something. Something so humanly beautiful and natural to him. Something Connor didn't think he could ever be, no matter how much he deviated, no matter how much he tried.

“Thank you,” Connor hummed, tone sincere and genuine. As the words registered in the Detective’s ears, he could see his cheeks fluster, even more so than they were before from the bitter cold, reaching up into the crevices of his face, into his ears and forehead. 

Gavin made the move to turn his own body to face Connor, though he looked away when speaking. “Whatever, I didn’t do shit,” the man had told Connor with feign harshness in his tone, and he felt his lips pull, just barely, into a thin smile at his words. 

Connor bid him good night, though the gesture wasn’t reciprocated other than a small nod, and they both turned to leave. Left with a pleasant feeling in his chest, Connor made his way down the sidewalk to his home before being ambushed. 

Connor snapped himself away in a moment-- what had happened to Gavin? Was Gavin his attacker? No, that was a ludicrous question. There was only a 6% chance that Gavin was the perpetrator. Still, Connor couldn't help but fear that Gavin could be in a room, just like this one, just like the chair he was confined to, just like him.

Another crash from the outside made Connor jump in his skin. Silence followed briefly before the door began to creak open. He didn't know what to expect, but a tall, large silhouette was revealed, standing in the doorway, and the visual made Connor feel like his insides had churned.

He attempted to analyze the figure, though that proved impossible. They disabled more than just his communication methods. This was someone well versed in android code. Well, enough to erase memory drives and disable several of Connor’s features. 

The aggressor approached, slow, methodical in his steps until he was standing above him with a cocked head, looking down at him. Connor refused to stare into his face, he didn’t want to give even the slight satisfaction that might’ve been the fear in his face. Keeping his eyes on the other’s shoes. Large hands ran over the bindings around Connor’s left wrist, before making the motion to release them. He loosened them on his left arm first, and as the presumed man above him started on the right, Connor shoved his arm into the body. He felt weak. Weaker than usual, at least, and when his arm had made little impact, he made to grip the shirt of his aggressor, pushing with as much force as he could use. Not enough.

The man grunted before tearing Connor’s shirt from his body, discarded, ripped, and buttons flying in one quick motion and gripped around the flesh of his throat in fluid motions.

Red. Red. Red.

His LED wouldn’t stop showing his rising anxiety, and he made a choked noise despite not particularly even needing to breathe. 

The hand that tore away his shirt was now lightly tracing, right above his navel, following the outline. Connor’s breath hitched. 

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Hey theres like, graphic physical violence after this so like if that’s not your cup of tea press that mf find on page button (ctrl + f at the same time, or if youre on google chrome on mobile, you can click the 3 dots in the upper right corner and scroll down the pop-up until you see find in page and search for “***************”  
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Red continued to radiate from his LED as Thirium gently flow down his exposed abdomen, where his pump regulator was forced from his body. It took him a few moments to actually process what had happened. To realise just how dramatic the motion was. 

Connor couldn't help the tears that fell from his eyes. They felt huge, thick, building up like a dam filling to the brim, only to burst and fall messily down his face.

He didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, it ran through his head on repeat as the timer for shut down felt painfully fast.  
His unbound hand slowly moved to replace itself around the entrance for his pump as the other one still thrashed, trapped. It didn't feel real. He didn't want to die.  
The hole in his abdomen felt huge, Connor found himself caving into where it had been, he could feel his heart slowing with every passing second. Could feel the blood flowing in him slowing down as well.

1:38  
1:37  
1:36

His voice was shallow and high pitched as he tried to raise his voice under the hand wrapped tightly around his throat.  
He didn't want to die.  
His thoughts wildly transitioned to his life thus far. His regrets. His family. That's what they were, right? Family? He wanted to see them, he would do anything to instead be with Hank, to be scolded by him again, for Sumo to be curled on the couch next to him. He choked on a laugh as his thoughts landed on a memory of Sumo urinating on the human. The hand squeezed tighter around his vocal unit in response. It was jarring.

He didn't want to die.

He wanted to keep going to the department with Hank. He wanted to play with Sumo more. He wanted to make more friends, he wanted to go out with Tina, and listen to Gavin’s bickering, and wanted to talk with them for hours.  
He wanted to... Fall in love.  
So many things he wished he could do.  
He wanted to experience life. Real life.  
He wanted to live so much it hurt.

As his countdown was ticking it's end, the pump was lazily pressed back into his core. (When had his aggressor removed himself from Connor?) As his errors of his near demise lowered, one by one, Connor breathed in, hard. He didn't need air, yet taking breaths slowly ticked his stress to something just a bit more bearable. “Why are you doing this to me?” Connor managed to speak, strained through the tight hold around his vocal unit. 

The person above Connor didn’t speak, and for a moment, relief washed over Connor for only moments before he felt himself kicked in the core, where his pump regulator sits, tucked in his core. The force made him cry, in sheer instinct. The feeling that creeped through Connor’s thirium hurt. 

Not emotionally.

No, this was nothing like that. 

His thirium pump being lodged into him was excruciating. It was… Painful. A taste was all he wanted. He hated how it felt. Connor curled down into himself, trying to protect his thirium pump from more abuse. This was too much, too fast. He never wanted this, why was this happening to him?

A hand gripped his hair and yanked him back up, before a punch came into contact with his nose, and the plate was lodged out of place. Connor gripped onto the arm of the person above him again, trying to pull his hand out of his hair. He was met with a hand smacking him across the face, and it didn’t particularly hurt like his thirium pump, but it did catch him by surprise. Another punch was thrust into his thirium pump once again and the impact made him gasp. He wasn’t fully aware what it meant to say that the air was knocked out of him, but he had a fairly decent grasp on the phrase now. The lodging of his pump allowed some thirium to leak from his core, dribbling slowly down his abdomen. Why was this person being so cruel? Connor didn’t deserve this. Nobody deserved this, except maybe the perpetrator himself.

He was pushed back into his chair, and for a moment, Connor wasn’t opposed to resting against it, until his left hand was pinned to the chair once again. Secured into the chair once more, Connor thrashed for a moment, yelling, albeit weakly. The person left the room almost like nothing had even happened, and the gentle click of the door was what gave him relief. He was safe, away from that person for at least a moment.

***************

He shook from fear as he continued to think about the events happening. He felt even more helpless than he did initially. At the very least, his blood was finally strengthening his limbs, and he could manage to move his elbows just a bit. 

He desperately searched for a way to get away with his eyes. Thought through all of the possibilities. There was hardly any leverage he would be able to gain. He’d have to wait it out. For now, he just wanted to rest, wanted to let his nose realign in stasis. Wanted to give him a moment to just process and cope. He felt so helpless. A prisoner watching from the outside, like that time when his body had been taken over by Amanda. The name in his mind brought a sourness to his artificial palate, but he shouldn’t linger for long. He just needed to recover as much as possible.

-

Nov. 17th, 2:64 AM.

Connor’s eyes snapped open. He had minor thirium loss, from the last encounter. It was more than manageable, though. A loud bang, again, from outside the walls of this room, Connor didn’t have any clues as to what it could be, he didn’t want to know anyways, if he was being honest.

He glanced around the room to gather himself once again. He was just low of optimal thirium levels, which meant that thirium was not inserted while he was not operating. Not even a shirt was replaced. Did the sick human enjoy making his victims feel vulnerable? How would Hank feel? Seeing Connor so defenseless. The human’s seen Connor hold his own very well plenty of times, would he be disappointed?

No. Connor knew better than to think that way.  
Hank was probably worried sick about Connor. Just a few hours had made him resort to drinking. Being gone for 6 days now… Connor had absolutely no idea what state of mind Hank could be in. The human could be so irrational. His core tightened at the thoughts. If he was unlucky, he may have even gone back to his Russian Roulette habit.  
He was being ridiculous at this point, Hank knew better. He needed to distance himself from those thoughts, they wouldn’t help him in here. Only break him further. 

Before long the door was opened again, and that person was standing there, standing in front of brighter lights that forced Connor’s optical units to adjust harshly to the visual. He began approaching, and it made writhe in the chair, pressing back into it, trying to distance himself from this sick person. When he was right above him, he felt his skin crawl. He had a hand hidden behind his back, what did he have? He didn’t want to know, but if he came in like that, he couldn’t help but expect that it was going to be shown to him no matter what. 

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More violence!! If you want to skip, search for “++++++++++++++++”  
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A rough, calloused hand ran over his jawline before gripping it roughly. If he had any pain sensors, he was sure that the motion would hurt. The man forced Connor’s face up, though he resisted the movement. 

Without warning, a knife was plunged into his abdomen, and Connor’s processors stuttered to a halt. It didn’t hurt. It didn’t hurt. A groan sounded from him without being prompted, and a quick scan told him no major biocomponents had been harmed, though thirium was leaking from the wound. He thrashed in the chair as the knife was removed from his body and a very light fan of thirium flung out of his body from the recoil.

Another stab. Another. Blue was flying from his abdomen in scattered patterns of wounds, and onto the jeans of the person stabbing him. The intrusions pulled yells of pain that truly didn't register from his vocal unit, mere lines of code in his programming. He didn't feel pain. He didn't feel pain. He didn't feel pain. The discomfort was unbearable, having a knife penetrate your surface would likely feel that way. 

Another stab landed and it made him scream in pain. Genuine, real, raw pain, into the space between where his pump regulator sat and his core. His vocal unit went static toward the end of his scream, so much for him to process. So much he couldn't process. An overwhelming amount. Pain was something Connor was not fond of. He didn't want to feel more. He didn't.

The knife twisted inside him, probably seeking for more, and Connor just cried out at the noise, vocal unit too weak to actually make much else. Fluid was filling his eyes again, and he could see drops falling to his pants as he was hunched over as much as possible, trying to protect himself as much as he could. He wanted it to stop. 

Please, stop.

The knife slid out painfully slow from where it sat, torturing him. He whimpered at the movement.

A strong hand soothed over the spot where the pain was still present, though more of a ghost than the original. He sighed, shaky, difficult breaths leaving his quivering lips. This was too much for him.

Without warning the knife slid into his left arm, where the joint connected to his limb, just above the forearm, and pried. He thrashed in the chair.

Emergency shutdown initiated. . . 

++++++++++++++++

Nov. 17th, 7:05 AM.

Connor stirred awake from his involuntary shutdown. His optical units took mere milliseconds to recover, then power returned to his limbs. For a second he felt blissful, until a warning appeared in his vision, telling him of his missing arm piece. He glanced down at what was supposed to be a complete limb to see a stub half the length of his elbow. 

This was far from optimal.

Speaking of optimal, his thirium levels were bordering half of what was considered to be dangerous. If he wasn't given care soon, the results would be disastrous. But that's what this monster would want, isn't it?

Connor’s arm was discarded, to his right, a foot, diagonal at exactly 107°. It was too damaged to reattach, even if he could get it in his grasp. For now, Connor had a plan, a simple plan nonetheless. His victim's, if he assumed this was related to his case, were left alive. Connor wouldn't last much longer. It's reasonable to assume this was drawing to an end and he would wipe Connor’s memory drive. But to do so, he'd have to actually get him out of the room. Unbound from a chair. The man was large for a reason, likely muscle underneath the hoodie he wore. But muscle was not something that was relative to an android.

No, Connor could put up 1.32 times the amount of force he could. Even with a missing arm, one blow could get him to escape. He had the disadvantage before. His arms hadn't gained complete motorization, now he was filled with determination. He just had to pretend to be in stasis once again, and he'd have the opportunity to strike.

With the thoughts being wrapped, like a nice package, Connor imitated the pose he was in when he awoke. Not very difficult. He just needed to sit perfectly still and wait for his time to come.

9:21 AM.

The door creaked open, the sound was dreadful in his mind, but he had to stay still.

Casual whistling was processed as he could feel the shadow looming over him. 

Movement was heard, first came the buckle around his right leg. Then his left. 

Two hands wrapped around leather around his wrists and pulled and undid until they fell open. Now was it. He had to. 

This disgusting human, if you could call him that, had made the mistake to capture Connor.

Connor felt the strength to fight. His body didn’t feel weak like it did last time. He didn’t know why. In fact, he should probably feel the weakest now. Missing arm, extreme thirium loss, subjugated to physical torture and torment. 

Subjected to humiliation, and fear, and pain, and worry. 

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Search for &&&&&&&& if you want to skip more violence.  
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Connor thrust his fist into the side of the man’s head, and he reeled backward for a moment, gripping his forehead. He quickly bent forward as he struggled to gain his balance, and picked up his discarded arm, swinging it to strike the person’s partially exposed face. His aggressor dodged by jumping backward, before throwing himself toward Connor, tackling the android to the ground. The stump of Connor’s left arm was pressed down against the ground first and Connor took the opportunity to push his palm into the chest of the larger body on top of him, just enough to work. Connor tucked his knees toward his core and pressed both his feet into the body above before kicking with all of the force he could use. The kick was enough to push him away with a gasp of surprise. This disgusting, perverted person was going to walk away a lot worse than Connor was going to. Picking himself up from the floor, Connor stood and looked down at the body, who was finding it more difficult to get onto his knees. Did he feel helpless? A part of Connor hoped that he did. Connor lifted his knee and slammed his foot down on the back of the person’s head, kicking him back down. 

Blood was pooling on the floor around where he slammed the man’s face onto the ground. Red, a deep, horrifying color that matched his LED in the moment. He was filled with so much rage. So much anger. This person deserved to feel the torture he had put Connor, and so many others through. Connor leant down, gripping the back of the man’s head at the base of his hair, and slammed his down back against the floor. He let out a whine. 

Was this how Connor sounded?  
Did he like to hear his noises?  
Connor didn’t like to hear his, that much he knew.

Connor turned the body to face up, and the person reached his hands to grip onto Connor’s pants, hands shaking. Connor smacked his hands away, before glaring down into the eyes of the man. There was a lot of things in there. A lot of things he couldn’t quite identify. If he had to guess, among them were fear, delight, and pride. For what? He didn’t want to know the answer. The back of Connor’s hand met the cheek of the face below with a loud smack. 

Connor stood back up, and kicked into his stomach once. Twice. He coughed up blood. Scarlet spilled, again, and again. Red. Just red. Again. Red. Again, and again, and again, and red.

&&&&&&&&

The body was no longer moving. No twitching. No sounds of pain.

The backs of bloodied palms wiped away tears from his cheeks. He didn’t realize he had ever started crying. He didn’t realize he was shaking. Connor didn’t need to analyse the person’s beaten, bloodied body to know he was dead, any person could figure that out. 

This was something he had to do. He was forced, by this sick ‘fucker’ Hank would likely call him. It wasn’t his fault. He had to. He had to, he had to. He had to. He had to. He had to. 

Connor snapped himself away from his thoughts to push the door open, he just needed to get out of here, away from the body. Looking at it gave him the feeling of his insides twisting unpleasantly. He pushed himself toward the door, stumbling. Thirium loss was too great, managing to move properly proved difficult. Resting against the closed door, Connor huffed quietly before opening it. Connor fell onto the floor outside and scrambled to move toward any door. He needed to be out of this house. He needed to get out of this fucking house. 

He managed to make his way to the front door, passing through the living room and smearing blue and red blood that didn’t mix at all to make purple on a couch. Connor turned around to look at the trail of Thirium that chased him from where he was held captive before unlocking the door and pushing through into the light outside. It felt warm on his synthetic flesh, pleasantly so. A choked sound escaped his vocal unit and his eyes were growing wet once again. Out, he was out, knelt on the wooden porch of this disgusting person’s house, still bloody, but out. Away.

Managing to make his way to a neighbors home was hard on his body. Half deactivated-- no, half dead, he felt like he was on the brink of death. Connor knocked on the door with the very little energy he had left, bracing his arm against the doorway to better keep himself up. A middle-aged woman opened the door after some screaming from inside, a child’s he assumed due to the pitch and dramatism. The silent horror on her face at his appearance was enough to tell himself how gruesome he appeared. She rushed him inside, helping him sit on the couch before calling what he assumed was the Detroit Police Department. 

It wasn’t long until banging was heard on the door, the woman opened it out of his vision. Connor couldn’t move all that well, and his visual display informed him that his Thirium levels were worryingly low, but that much was already evident to him. He dozed as he waited, something he wasn’t even aware he could do. When he next opened his eyes, he was in Hank’s car, well above the speed limit. “Hank… Fast,” was all he managed to say before he dozed off again, the last visual caught was of the man turning to face him, face filled with worry and fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it gets happier, it gets better for con, i promise
> 
> i felt so sad writing this for my BOI, ive had some of this typed since like, chapter 2, so like, this has been in THE MAKING ASDFHASDHFJ
> 
> my main tumblr is clav3s and my writing tumblr is claves-writes ofc
> 
> thanks for reading, again, im so sorry this took so long to update
> 
> also shoutout to spraymillet @ tumblr for helping me bounce stuff around, huge help, and my friend loki too ily 
> 
> okay claves out deuces, keep an eye out for the next chapter it gets a lot cuter and sof


	6. Serenade - 6;

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> connor is in the fuckin hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh im sorry this took so long to finish, ive been feeling depressd lately. i started drawing again!! so thats cool,, it's a good distraction. i don't feel so great where im staying rn
> 
> but that's enough abt me, i promised a soft chapter i deliver a soft chapter
> 
> also ive been hooked on this song recently https://youtu.be/QEaNc13UhGo?list=PLTAmjoGO8HmzRdIcdOBPU-ln6wbcjXaqA&t=1212 like im left shook, it literally gives me chills

NOV. 19th, 9:23 PM

When he next woke, he was in a bed, in a pearly white room. A quick diagnostic told him that his Thirium levels were optimal, though he already knew that based on how much more control he had over his body. His attention was brought away from that when he had moved his hands to his face. A newly attached arm, though it was foreign to him.  
A prosthetic, in ways, but perfectly matching to fit neatly into his body. It was not his though, and he wasn’t sure he would ever feel quite comfortable with it. It’s skin tone was the same as his own natural skin tone.

This wasn't his. But he would be forced to use it, because of what he did to Connor. For a moment, the entire encounter was forgotten, tucked in the corners of his conscience. And the memory, made his pump drum harder in him. Felt loud in him. Overwhelmingly, like it threatened to jump from his core in the hazy memory. 

He was snapped away from thought when a woman entered, behind the several cautionary notifications in his vision that warned of increase in internal temperature and stress. The prompt to scan her came soon, and Connor immediately did, hungry to remove his attention from what had just happened. They re-enabled his features, he realized after a moment, finally able to scan.

BL100 model, name appearing neatly under her serial number, informing him that her chosen name was Briana. Though the name tag neatly pinned to her shirt was clue enough as to what her name was. “Hello, Connor,” she spoke, voice warm and comforting, testing the waters, likely because she noticed his state.

“Hi,” he greeted back, politely, with a gentle curve of his lips, exhaling very shallowly. (When had he started breathing so heavily?)

“I was your operator, you came in very damaged. Major thirium loss. Several puncture wounds. A large opening in the back of your head…” She trailed off after a moment of speaking, all things she knew that he knew. “We removed all dented and punctured chassis and patched over the exposed areas.” Connor nodded along to her words as she finished, awkwardly fiddling her fingers while glancing between Connor’s face and the floor. 

“Thank you.”

“Your treatment will not cost a dime this time… A gift, for your role in the revolution.”

He nodded, before looking at his palms sitting idly in his lap. Oh, he only just now noticed, but he was naked, save for the blanket covering his midsection. 

Almost as if she had read her mind she gestured toward clothing that was folded neatly on a windowsill that let no light in. 9:31 PM, he read again. “Your… Father brought you a change of clothes. You were only wearing pants when you arrived, however those were bloodied.” Connor almost snapped to meet her eyes at the words. 

“Father…” He echoed, lips curling just a bit more into a smile. “Hank? Where is he?” 

“He visited earlier, while you were still in standby.” Those words made him ache for some reason. Hank had already gone through so much with Cole, he hoped that this state didn’t put him into too much emotional distress. 

She nodded briefly before turning when Connor hadn’t responded with a sigh. “I've other patients to tend to… But I'd like you to stay until tomorrow. Just to be safe.” She said before turning, sensing she was no longer needed. 

As soon as the door clicked closed, he lifted the blanket from his body, walking to pick up his clothes. The combination of clothing… Did not make sense. Connor put on the white button up in the pile, bringing each button into their respective hole. He grab the undergarments, and lifted his leg into one side. Then the other. He raised the pajama bottoms in front of his face. The first two articles of clothing were his, however these were from Hank’s own dressers. It wasn’t the human’s fault, he had stubbornly refused letting the man buy him clothing. He slid his legs into the pants, before tying the drawstring. They were quite large around his more slender waist.

Now finished, he further inspected the room, the white of the room was interrupted by the bright, varying colors on a table beside his bed. Flowers. Balloons. Cards. That brought a genuine grin to his face. He gathered the cards into his hands and sat on the bed before folding through them. 13 cards in total. After a moment more of sorting, he brought his attention to one that was marked by Gavin and Tina’s names.

The cover was generically flowers, with large words spelling ‘Get well soon,’ signed with the two of their names. He opened the card to reveal the image of a bird of paradise flower. On the left, was pretty, neat writing. ‘We hope you get better and come back to work soon, I was worried sick! Much love, Tina’.

On the right, was what Connor recognized as Gavin’s handwriting from previously capturing the notebook to his memory. A thin smile graced his lips, as he read the lines of text. ‘You had me fucked up ̶p̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶r̶o̶b̶o̶c̶o̶ Connor. It was my fault, I should’ve walked you all the way home. I’m sorry for that. I’m just glad you’re safe. I’ve been worried about you,’ He ran his fingers over the writing idly, smile wider. A warmness, like a light radiating in him, was present in his lower torso as he lazily read the writing, again, and again, and again. He hadn’t considered the possibility that anyone would bring him gifts, he hadn’t considered the possibility that anyone would… Care for him. It brought a warmness to him.

He put down the remaining cards, coming from a number of sources, Captain Fowler, Markus and Simon, those names were a surprise to him together. He tried to distance himself from playing a large role in the revolution after everything had gone down, yet they still made the effort of connecting with him by bringing a card. Maybe he should get back into contact with them. There was even one from Elijah Kamski, which surprised him the most. If he had to guess, the… Extravagant bouquet sitting on the table also came from the man. He’d have to send him a thank you when he had the chance, for now, he wanted to just be able to walk freely again.

Connor dropped his feet onto the tile, cold pressing into the pads of his toes as he walk to the door. The pants, despite the drawstring being tied tight, fell lower on his hips as he moved. Hooking a finger into the waistband, Connor pulled them back up, only to take a few more steps and them to fall loosely to expose more of his skin again, putting a frown on his face. This was going to be annoying, he could already tell.

He opened the door to step out into a hallway with cream walls that extended both to his left and right, meeting other rooms and halls to form something labyrinth-like. Down to his left, the hallway parted, and to his right, a nurse’s station with two androids socializing, a WR400 model, and AP700 male model. A chance to socialize. 

Connor started the small walk down the hallway to meet them, requiring to hook his finger back into the waistband to pull them back up, this time holding them in place. When he got close enough, the androids turned to meet his gaze, and the proper angle told Connor he could identify them, though he opted not to. “Hello,” he spoke with a smile, and a crinkle of his eyes to attempt expressing kindness. 

“Hey,” the WR400 replied, bending lower to plant her forearms on the counter. Her voice was charming, and dipped well into Connor’s audio processors.

The AP700 was not as friendly in his approach, “What do you need?” He asked, voice harsh and eyes cold, pressing into Connor’s form, like he was trying to dig into Connor’s skin. Connor wouldn’t be intimidated so easily, however. 

“I wish to know where Briana is,” he came up on the spot, trying to speak as warmly as possible, which was difficult, given the AP700’s attitude. Perhaps he should take a ‘chill pill’, as Hank says.

“She’s taking care of another patient. We’ll tell her you were looking for her, ‘kay? What’s your name?” The WR400 asked, all smiles, which was much preferred opposed to her coworkers polar opposite personality. 

He took the moment to study her features. She had face modulation done, if he compared her face to the default WR400 model. Likely in this same CyberLife hospital. After the revolution, CyberLife took efforts in making money off androids having the status of actual people. It was smart, really. The rise of a people meant a larger population, and a direct result, less jobs. Android hospitals like this one meant that androids like Connor would be properly cared for if they came to injury, since hospitals for humans likely would not be able to take proper care of them. “Connor,” he spoke before realizing there may be a need for clarification, “Anderson,” he finished as she nodded, before glancing back to the AP700, staring cold at him. Connor swiftly dismissed himself, turning away to walk further down the hallway.

The outcome of that conversation had not gone as he hoped. He wanted to talk to someone, not be stuck, alone, with his thoughts, but he couldn't bring himself to not think about how the two of them reminded him oddly of another pair he's spoken to before-

Oh, there go his pants again. Connor pulled them back into place again, with a look of annoyance. Hank should’ve just brought Connor his own slacks, but it was alright, he assumed the pajama bottoms were for his own comfort. (Then why did he bring Connor a dress shirt…?)

It didn't matter. Connor was just thinking too hard. Perhaps if-

“Hey- Connor!” A voice rang down the hall, snapping him from his thoughts. He already recognized the voice before he had turned to see her. Tina Chen. She was carrying a jacket in her arms, and was briskly walking toward him.

Her face registering in his optical units brought a smile to him. “Hey,” he greet back quietly, hopefully talking with a friend would reassure him. “What are you doing here?” Connor already reasoned that she was here to see him, however it was an excellent way to continue a conversation.

“I was visiting, again,” she said cooly, now standing in front of him, rocking on her heels as she spoke. “Gavin was going to come too, but he was called back in last minute.” 

Connor nodded to her words, sad Gavin would not be here to join, that was fine though, he would be able to leave tomorrow. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to come while I was still awake,” he said while studying her features, she seemed relieved. (For Connor?...) “I wasn’t really expecting anyone to visit in the first place. I’m grateful.”

Her expression dropped at his words. There was anger on her face now, furrowed brows and large frown. Connor hadn’t said anything to make her angry, maybe it wasn’t anger like he had detected. 

“Connor,” she started with eyes that bore into him. Searching, studying, paying such close attention, perhaps in a way that he also has done to others. “Why would you think that?”

He licked his lips while calculating an appropriate response to express how he felt.

“I feel as if my presence is minor. That I am something little and unimportant.”

If Connor could clearly tell what she was thinking, perhaps it would be much easier to find a satisfying answer. However her eyes just kept roaming over his face, he could feel them, but her look had softened, had deflated from being so aggressive.

“You-” A scoff, she closed her mouth and pursed her lips tight for a moment before speaking again. “I know how people look at you, how the Lieutenant looks at you- I mean, you should’ve seen him earlier.” Tina brought a hand forward gently bringing hers to hold his left hand between her palms in a comforting manner. “Connor you are the world to Hank, he cares about you so much,” and he did believe it, maybe he had just… Forgotten. Too wrapped in his own worries and thoughts to himself see how much he mattered. 

“You’re right,” he replied. Her words made him feel warm, and his thirium pump felt light, drumming a softly within him. 

There were a few more words exchanged before Tina suggested heading back to Connor’s designated hospital room, he didn’t object.

-

Tina sat down on a chair, by the windowsill, taking in the details of the blindingly white walls. Connor opted to lean against the bed instead. “So, Connor…” She trailed off, which brought him to meet her eyes. Her face had formed into a worried expression. Furrowed brows, lips, parted just barely with a very slight downward curve. “Are you… Okay?”

Connor pursed his lips in thought for a moment, of course he was okay. The question was ridiculous. “Yes, I'm no longer under extreme bodily harm.”

“That's not what I mean.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, mentally.”

“As far as I am aware, yes.” 

The asian woman let out a gentle sigh. He wasn’t giving her the answer she was looking for, yet Connor didn’t know the answer she wanted to begin with.

“You killed a man, Connor,” She paused, perhaps trying to find the right words for her thought, “it’s not, like, a little thing.” The androids gaze left to meet his hands, he didn’t want to look her in the eyes. He didn’t know why. Perhaps it was the tightness that made itself apparent at the topic.

When he didn’t respond, she spoke again to fill the silence, changing the subject, probably because she sensed he was uncomfortable. “Gavin feels a lot of guilt on what happened… I’m sorry he couldn’t come.” The name on her tongue made him smile without his permission, he brought his teeth over the corner of his lip force it back down when Connor prompted to stop smiling, but was only given an error. The action was noticed by Tina, and her own lips pulled up for just a brief moment. 

Connor nodded along to the words. He didn’t blame Gavin, not really. The attack was likely targeted. Calculated. “It’s alright.”

“He cares about you,” she says while giving a thoughtful look. Not particularly directed towards him. It appeared more inward, like she was trying to carefully pick words that wouldn’t reveal too much. “Nearly blew up when you came up missing.” That brought solace to him for a moment.

“Oh, I nearly forgot,” Connor said when turning to move to the table that occupied the space next to the hospital bed. He drew the card that Gavin and Tina had given him during his standby from the pile and turned to face Tina. “Thank you for the card, it really… Made me feel nice.” It felt like he was admitting something deep and profound to the asian woman. He wasn’t quite used to expressing his emotions, couldn’t control his behaviours very well. 

She smiled in response.

-

Tina stay with Connor, talking about various topics that brought his anxiety to ease over time, but she had a home to get back to. Nearly an hour passed of the two speaking before she told him she would have to be leaving soon with a click of her phone pad. 

The second the door closed behind her, he felt alone, all over again, with his thoughts.

Briana had informed him they wanted to keep him longer, just so they could monitor him. So he was alone, and stuck here. Not a prisoner. Not this time, at least, and that soothed Connor’s nerves. 

11:09 PM. Perhaps it would be best to force himself into stasis until morning rounded it’s corner.

Yes. That was a good plan. Connor climbed back onto the bed and lay his head against the rough pillow that was provided. It wasn’t soft to a human’s standards, however comfort wasn’t something Connor needed at all.

No, this was only a small fraction of how much he’s been put through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tina chen? still a legend
> 
> tumblr is claves and claves-writes 
> 
> im not very interactive in the dbh community at all, and ive never actually been so invested in a games community until now so  
> idk i guess im trying to say i want more friends  
> shoutout to spraymillet for being iconic and also loki :eyes:
> 
> anywasy pls comment if you see anything wrong like mispelled words or somthn thank youm


	7. Dolce - 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The human looked down at him from beside the hospital bed. His eyes were wet, threatening for tears to fall if Connor so much as looked at him the wrong way. It had been an entire week since he’d last seen the Lieutenant, it had been a week that Hank hadn’t seen Connor not bloodied and beaten, half dead, or out cold entirely. Large, warm arms wrapped around his shoulders as he was stuck in thought, bringing himself away from his thoughts. He didn’t have to be prompted further to hug in return, squeezing just a bit tighter than was necessary. “You scared the shit outta me, kid,” Hank had said, muffled into the crook of his neck, though that didn’t hide the fact that his vocal chords were strained, tight, with relief and sorrow. 
> 
> “I’m sorry, Hank,” he told the man who hadn’t relented quite yet. “I’m so, so, sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably say what i was thinking of when i made the cyberlife hospital--  
> Okay so basically cyberlife lost a shit ton of money after the revolution, wbk, so cyberlife did what any shitty capitalist would do: cater to the new demographic.  
> They make spare parts that would be easy to install into androids, thirium for consumption, upgrades, all the normal stuff like before, but hospitals were a touch added to be more ‘humane’ rather than, like, ordinary repair shops. recovering is obviously a big thing that happens at hospitals, but there’s also an equivalent to plastic surgery i thought would be an interesting addition (Which was referred to as ‘facial modulation’ last chapter of one of the nurses i think? )
> 
> anyways Yeah That’s just a Minor thing i had anticipated for this fanfic

Nov. 20th, 8:37 AM

A voice nudged him out of stasis, gravelly in nature, but all too familiar. “Connor,” it urged, forcing the android to shift into consciousness for only a brief second. 

He turned over with a groan to express his annoyance with eyes clenched tighter as he tried to force himself back into bliss. 

“Kid, get the fuck up.”

The person the words belonged to registered in Connor’s mind finally, snapping him up in record time.

“Hank!” Connor exclaimed, eyes snapping open to look at the man.

The human looked down at him from beside the hospital bed. His eyes were wet, threatening for tears to fall if Connor so much as looked at him the wrong way. It had been an entire week since he’d last seen the Lieutenant, it had been a week that Hank hadn’t seen Connor not bloodied and beaten, half dead, or out cold entirely. Large, warm arms wrapped around his shoulders as he was stuck in thought, bringing himself away from his thoughts. He didn’t have to be prompted further to hug in return, squeezing just a bit tighter than was necessary. “You scared the shit outta me, kid,” Hank had said, muffled into the crook of his neck, though that didn’t hide the fact that his vocal chords were strained, tight, with relief and sorrow. 

“I’m sorry, Hank,” he told the man who hadn’t relented quite yet. “I’m so, so, sorry.”

After a brief few moments for his sniffles to stop coming, he pulled away with a quiet grunt, and his eyes were red and noticeably puffier. “Make me worry that much again and you’ll never be able to leave the house.” He said, a weak chuckle spilling from him after he stopped talking.

He also quietly laughed before wiping at his own eyes, fluid was gathering in the optical units, and he squeezed his eyelids shut to force excess away.

When he finished, Connor turned his eyes to look to the doorway, where Briana, his operator, was standing, patiently waiting for the reunion to finish. Hank followed the look and turned to watch the other android approach, sensing they were finished for now. “Good morning, Connor.”

“Morning.”

She stopped in front of him hands folded in front of her, “I’m sure you remember that your stay is suppose to end today?” Connor nodded in affirmation, choosing not to speak and let her finish. “You’re a free man, then.” She spoke to him, smile gracing her lips as she glanced between the pair.

“Thank you.”

The Lieutenant also gave a smile that could only reciprocate thanks as well.

-

Not long after, he put on his socks from before the… Incident. Brought clean and fresh for him to wear. Luckily Hank had also brought him his only other pair of shoes, the other one's were likely held somewhere, that being evidence, or just the trash. Stained with blood and thirium.

When the door of Hank’s car finally came to a close, the older finally turned to him, smiling to him in a way that could only be seen as familial. Comfortable, warm, and trusting.

“We’re going to do somethin’ today. ‘Kay, Connor?” Hank informed, before pulling out of the parking space. 

“You’re not off today.” 

“So?”

“It would be best for you to go to work.”

“Connor?”

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“I don’t know if you could tell,” he started, turning to glance at the android with a lingering look. “But I haven’t seen my son in one piece in a week.”

Connor nodded, despite the man not looking in his direction. 

The rest of the drive was rather quiet, and he enjoyed the midday sun on his synthetic flesh through the glass of the car windows. The sky held no clouds, which allowed the unfiltered sun to warm him. It was the little things that he loved, he thought to himself with a hum of contentment and closed eyes.

-

“We need to get you actual clothes,” Lieutenant Anderson told him as the car was slowly reeling into a shopping outlet. Not the first place Connor would have desired to come on a ‘day off’. He knew the Lieutenant well, this would be a long day. 

Connor made a quick look to Hank at the suggestion. “You’re the one that picked these out for me to wear,” Connor had countered, teasing the elder, over the facade that he was absolutely okay to spend hours with the older man just walking around the inside of a Ross. He could already feel the torture coming.

“I made a point to make sure you look as awful as possible.”

“Is that why you gave me some of your clothes then?” Connor asked, feigning innocence in his tone over the shit-eating grin he wore. 

The Lieutenant only gave him a baffled look before pulling into a parking spot.

Hank asked him after a bit more bickering where he wanted to go to get clothes, Connor didn’t want to buy any, if he could’ve given the answer, but he wouldn’t be let off the hook so easily. Either way, he gave an answer that he was genuinely interested in.

Goodwill.

That’s where Connor had expressed desire in shopping at. The older man gave him a look that was dissatisfied at the answer. It's not like it was the Gucci store. Quite the opposite really. For one, you could actually find good clothes at Goodwill, he was told at one point. 

It dawned on him when he was in the middle of pulling out a shirt, draping it over his forearm that still didn’t feel all that right on his body, along with a few other things that drew his attention. “I haven’t received my first paycheck, Hank.” 

“Just-” the elder started with a huff while sorting through the series of clothes on racks. “Learn to let people do things for you.” 

Connor nodded, small smile forming along his lips as he organized the armful of shirts and jeans in his possession. “It isn’t as if the clothes here are rather expensive, I will not make a big deal out of it… For now.” He said with a knowing smile, before turning to the man, showing the clothes in his possession. “I want to try these on.”

 

“Find the dressing rooms,” he waved him off, not looking up and away from the clothes “I’ll head over in a bit.” 

 

-

Eyes fixed over his form in a mirror, he looked at himself head-on, turning briefly to look at himself in different angles. He liked the style, he finalized. He studied the clothes, white tee with a hand holding flowers. Red overshirt, buttonless, white and black patterns similar to flora. Both shirts tucked into long jeans that probably hugged his legs very nicely. (Not like he was paying attention.)

He turned his body, butt gently poking out as he raked his eyes over his figure again. He was… Decently looking enough. 

Blue pooled in his cheeks. He was checking himself out, and it left embarrassment in him at the realization. 

Connor exit the dressing room, expecting to have to find Hank, much to his surprise the man was standing in front, waiting for him expectantly. 

The man whistled to him with raised brows, “Jesus, Connor, you really outdid yourself.”

He smiled at the praise, looking down at the clothes he was wearing for a moment longer, holographic tags rippling on the chests of the shirts, and along a thigh of the jeans. The articles themselves were pretty cheap, it made him feel better about the favor the older man was doing for him. 

-

7:43 PM

Connor exhaled as Hank unlocked the door and pushed it open for their entrance. As soon as the door was open, Connor could hear the hurried scraping of nails along wood, the dog paused a few feet in front of the door, waiting for the two to get inside. 

Breathing in the smell of home, Connor turned after entering and closed the door, twisting the lock after with a soft click. “Hey, Sumo,” he cooed while kneeling down in front of the Saint Bernard, placing the bags he’d accumulated over the evening beside him and bringing a hand to scratch behind his ears. The dog leaned into his hand as he pet, searching for more affection that Connor certainly wasn’t going to deny. 

“You should get some rest,” the human said as he began to approach the kitchen. The last time Hank had eaten had been more than quite a few hours ago, and the thought brought guilt to him. He was the reason, he’d usually be so pessimistic at going from store to store, this time he was the one dragging Hank along.

“You’re right… Today has been exhausting,” he agreed. He needed to sort through his new possessions and then switch into stasis for the night. With that, Connor stood and left the human and dog to head into his own room, placing the few bags in his grasp onto his bed, and dropping beside them. 

He sift through the plastic bags, pulling out a few articles of clothing, a pair of yellow off-brand shoes that somewhat resembles Converse, a lava lamp’s box, and finally, what Connor’s been excited about all evening, he drew a smartphone from a small box. 

He turned it over in his palms, carefully examining the object. His hands were visible from behind the glass where he held it, transparent from one side to the next. He clicked it on from the side, and the skin on his hands slowly disappeared to allow for interaction. 

The glass lit up allowing him to set up his phone. Connor quickly did so, as the phone chimed under his fingers revealing a HUB where he could select a variety of applications. Eyebrows raised briefly, until he was sorting through the app store, downloading the ones that held his attention most.

(How long had he been mindlessly scrolling?...) The time was glaring at him when he opted to check it in his vision, then he focused back onto the corner of the glass, where the clock told him the same. 9:31 PM. He’s been going through the most popular applications for nearly 2 hours straight. LED flicked yellow briefly at the thought and he glared down at the touchscreen. How dare it keep his attention for so long. 

He placed the phone down, and folded through the clothes he’d obtained. Standing from the bed, Connor approached the closet, and sorted through the few shirts and slacks hanging from rails, the sight made his chest ache. Other people had several different outfits, yet Connor found himself lacking in the clothes department. He pushed away the thoughts with a sigh and began his work on hanging his new clothes.

Now finished with that, the android began stripping down from the clothes he put on where they went to shop. He hung them along with the rest of his clothes and turned from the closet to pick up the large box from earlier. 

Sitting down beside it, Connor unpacked it’s contents before reading the instructions along the side of the box. He picked up the base, and glass container, placing the bottom piece on his nightstand, and securing the glass inside of the base. Satisfied with it’s location, he takes the cord and plugs it in, watching it begin glowing to life immediately.

He flipped the light switch and watched the lava lamp illuminate the small area of his room. It was almost hypnotic to watch, wax rising then falling in a soothing cycle. Connor finally crawled into bed, picking up his new phone and turning it on. 

White fingers managed the device as he set up an account for a popular recommended social media app. He hesitated when it asked for a profile picture. There weren’t photos of him on his phone yet, and he didn’t want to go find a mirror to take a picture in front of, since it was so late. 

Exiting the app with a frown, Connor decided he would get a photo of himself tomorrow. For now, he wanted to enter stasis so tomorrow would come faster.

-

“I… Feel… Nervous to be back,” Connor announced, uncertainty distinctly obvious in his words. His thoughts kept trailing to the week prior, to the body he had mutilated, his LED spun red at the image of the broken, bloody form under his foot. He shook himself away, distancing himself from those thoughts as he drum his fingers against his thighs. He decided to wear his signature white button-up, black slacks, and a tie. His last remaining CyberLife jacket had been destroyed, that was final. It felt odd to not wear it out in public, like a lost piece of him, his identity. 

The human stepped out of the car with the twist of a key, a barely noticeable stretch soon following. “I understand. Are you sure you want to come back?” Hank asked the android seriously, attention completely on him. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Not again.”

Connor started walking down the inclined parking lot of the garage, “I’ll be fine Lieutenant, I’m just worried about how others will react.” He told the older man. It wasn’t a lie, but Connor felt the tension in his jaw after he spoke in apprehension. There was a missing piece to his words, one he hadn’t figured out himself.

“Just… Don’t push yourself,” he heard the other tell him from not far behind, concern evident in his tone.

“I won’t.”

When he finally entered the building with Hank, spoke to the receptionist, and walked into the precinct, he was met with sudden hushed quiet. All eyes were focused on the android, and he could feel himself shrink on himself at the piercing gazes. He felt so vulnerable under the eyes of a dozen people. Felt their silent judgment. They were judging him, right? He knew his LED was pulsing yellow as the silence continued, agonizing in length. 

Slowly, faces turned away, activity started once again. Quiet whispers, he could hear from the other officers he passed when he made his way to his desk. Heads glancing up to meet look at him in his peripheral, yet he kept himself steeled, refusing to look them in the eyes. 

His LED finally shift back to cool blue when he sat at his desk, sighing quietly at being out of the spotlight.

Hank followed soon after, sitting across from Connor with a relieved sigh of being back off his feet. “They’re just surprised,” he told him, attempting to comfort the android. “You recovered in only a day. It’s just… Different for them, I’m sure.”

The words soothed the android somewhat. He just couldn’t shake off the pressure in his throat. His jaw unclenched after a few moments. (When had he tightened it?) “I think I just need a minute to think,” Connor finally stated in return, looking the Lieutenant in the eye very briefly.

Hank sighed again, audibly more defeated than the first. “I think it was a bad idea for you to come back so soon.” 

The words snapped Connor to look up again. Forced him to maintain longer eye contact. There was a truth to the words, but he couldn't help but feel hurt at them. “I-” he started, tone raised in defense before being interrupted by another voice coming from across the precinct. 

“Connor,” it called to him. His eyes looked past Hank, to the Captain leaning against the railway in front of his office. “My office.” The tone wasn’t harsh, not like he’d been so used to before, but still commanding. After speaking, he turned back swiftly around and entered his office.

Connor stood up, but before he could leave Hank reached up and grabbed his wrist, forcing the android to look at the human once again. “‘M not sure what he’s gonna say. You want me to come with you?” He’d asked Connor, he looked worried more than anything.

“I’ll be fine.” 

-

The Captain expressed his concerns. Decidedly, Connor was an Officer, but he’d be able to be assigned to work with Lieutenant Anderson to assist with his cases, similar to before the Revolution. Which left Connor on awkward footing. He had the abilities to perform as a Detective, but it was also required for him to take the experiences of being an Officer. 

“Which means…” Jeffrey Fowler started, slowly pulling out from being against the desk, and standing up. Reaching behind himself and picking up a jacket neatly folded on the display table neatly set against the wall behind his desk. “You may be needing these.” He turned back around, with the jacket in both hands, atop, seated a badge, glimmering in the light, and when it was presented to him, he couldn’t help the pure joy in him. 

His chest felt full, and his mind went blank when he took the two items into his arms. “I-” he began, before closing his mouth, and opening it again. He couldn’t find the words to speak. His cheeks felt tight and he raised a hand to them, feeling along his face and he could feel the smile along his features. Stunned, LED whirring, and joy bubbling up through his chest, Connor was barely able to struggle a ‘thank you’. 

He didn’t understand why it affected him so much. It was such a human gesture, so miniscule, so meaningless to anyone else. 

But it meant the world to him.

“I didn’t get to properly tell you before,” the Captain told him as Connor took the items in his own hands. “But welcome to the force, Kid.” He finished with a clasped hand on Connor’s shoulder.

-

The jacket wasn’t his exact size, no, it was just a tad too large, but otherwise, it was very comfortable on his person. Buildings came and went as he sat in the passenger seat of the car, staring out the glass windows, the smell of black coffee filling the space. He appreciated the odor, if that’s what you could call it. He couldn’t smell, not by human standards, but it was still something he could process. And the only word he could use to describe it would be rich. 

“Usually I’m paired with Chen,” the voice beside him finally spoke, ringing him out of his thoughts. He looked away from tracing the edges of skyscrapers, instead directing himself to the man seated next to him. Focus ahead of him, on the road, which Connor was thankful for. 

“I’m sorry, if this may be an inconvenience for you I could ask someone else to partner with me if that is what you desire.” If he were being honest, the words hurt him to say, he felt like an unwanted presence, even if that feeling was short lived.

Officer Miller glanced toward him and his lips curled up for a split second. “No, I’m not saying that, I just thought you should know.” He rushed out, before focusing back ahead of him. “She thinks highly of you.” Added Miller as he slowed the car to a stop in front of a red light overhead.

Connor nodded along before speaking, the response soothed his social anxiety by a fraction. Something he was thankful for. “How long have you known Officer Chen?” He finally asked, silence dragging on for too long for his taste.

“A few years. Four, I think?” 

Connor was working up to another question, he didn’t know why it was important, but he felt the urge to ask. It felt uncharacteristically bold on his tongue, there wasn’t a reason for it to be, “and how long have you known Detective Reed?” Uncertainty lining his words. The other Officer straightened visibly at the question. It wasn’t an odd one, not in Connor’s opinion. Right? 

He gave Connor another look for a moment, “Ten years,” he finally answered as the car picked up speed once again as the traffic light switched to green. “Is there a specific reason?” Miller prodded. There was, he just didn’t quite know how to place his finger on it.

“I think so…” He said carefully, not giving more information when the other man looked at him again expectantly. Chris raised his eyebrows when nothing more came from Connor. Connor turned his head away, facing the street ahead of them, staring at the hood of the cruiser, anything but Officer Miller directly. He felt embarrassed under the gaze of the Officer. 

“And that is…?”

“I don’t know.”

-

2:07:55 PM

2:07:56 PM

2:07:57 PM

The pair had been stationed in the corners of Detroit. Waiting idly for someone to either fuck up royally in the vision of the two, be called to a crime scene to assist other investigators, or to be dispatched to a nearby location. 

Nothing eventful thus far in the day, which Connor found odd, but enjoyable. No crime meant nobody was put in any inherent danger. 

As the cruiser came to a halt outside of a burger joint, Officer Miller popped the door open and glanced at Connor, who was unmoving within the car itself. “Are you coming?”

“I do not need to eat, there is no reason to,” and it wasn’t like he was lying, there wasn’t a reason for him to get off with Chris. He just compressed his lips at the words, reaching over and patting Connor’s shoulder in a sympathetic gesture.

“Yeah… But, you could come keep me some company,” he offered, before cocking his head with a grin on his face. It was likely we was trying to appear more friendly, not that he needed it. The human would be what he would described as ‘designed for harmonious and seamless integration with humans’. Connor snorted to himself at the thought with a smile, amusing in his own little way.

The human’s smile brightened at the sound, perhaps he thought he had been the cause… But in a way, he was.

Connor climbed out of the car along with Officer Miller as he followed the other man into the building. 

It was a nice place, inside furnished like the pictures of old diners in the backs of his memories as he flipped through old and musty magazine’s that he found in Hank’s garage. It wasn’t packed, not really. There were a number of what Connor assumed were families, a few people looking like they had just shown up to eat on breaks. A healthy amount of people, for what he assumed was normal in a restaurant.

Chris Miller briefly told him he should ‘grab a booth’ when they first walked in, which he did. He sat beside glass, looking out at the busy streets of the city. It wasn't long until Officer Miller sat across from him flashing him a brief smile before bringing his own eyes over the cars that drove past.

“So… First patrol, huh?”

It was a bit of a late question, but Connor could dismiss that for now. 

“Yes, I wasn't given a proper badge or uniform until just today.” 

“It's official, then!”

“It's official,” he confirmed, nodding once slowly. 

Silence fell between the air once again. To be fair, Connor didn't give much to go off of for small talk. However, neither did the other, so he just opted to ask the obvious. “You're a father,” he said simply. 

That caught Chris’ attention, the mention of his child wrung a warm smile from the man. “Yeah, he’s only one,” he said, while while drawing his wallet to fold through. “Here,” he finally offered, showing Connor the inside, who focused on the image of Chris Miller’s wife, and son. Connor chose not to scan either of them, he’d learned that it was rude to look at people’s private information before asking. 

“He's very cute,” he concluded, glancing back up to the other Officer with a genuine, small smile over his features. Connor’s comment brought a more proud smile from Miller, as he looked away for a brief moment before pulling the wallet closer, looking down at it for another second longer before putting it back on his person. “What's his name?” 

“Damian.”

Chris’ food came by not long after. Burger and fries in all they're greasy glory. It didn't take long for Officer Miller to finish, he scarfed his food down fairly quickly, which surprised Connor. He expected the man to not have eaten so hastily, considering his build. But perhaps he had a quick metabolism, or he frequented the gym.

(Not likely, he had an infant, and it was likely his wife would desire help with him.)

(But some men also believe it to be the woman’s job to care for a child.)

(That doesn't mean he is one of those men.)

(Maybe not, but I wouldn't know.)

(Oh! He did choose to stay home when invited to join Tina Chen, Gavin Reed, and I. Perhaps he stayed to help with the infant.)

(You're correct, that is a likely scenario.)

Satisfied with himself the android hummed at defeating his own thoughts. For a moment, it seemed like there would be no winner for either side. 

It wasn't much longer until the break was cut short by the radio singing alive to tell of a nearby incident, and the two of them would be needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i drew the outfit and i absolutely headcanon connor to shop at goodwill that's just how it is Babey !  
> https://claw-vase.tumblr.com/post/177328854283/connor-buys-clothes-at-goodwill
> 
>  
> 
> also hi i changed the url for my writing blog from claves-writes to @claw-vase bc now it's just a dbh / art blog oops
> 
> i'm so sorry for all the world building,, we're gonna get to the shipping soon i promise,, didn't have ANYTHING planned for this chapter so im sorry this took so long to update!! (but i do have the next chapter already planned out and started (this was actually going to be one long-running chapter but it started getting really long and i cut it essentially in half kjadsfjasjdkf 
> 
> anyways, if you want to follow me on my dbh tumblr, go do that!! i draw and post a lot of my own memes there and like, feel free to send me a message there or something!!! i want to make more friends in the community,, but like,, im too shy to actually reach out or whateva.
> 
> oh yeah,, i also have live streamed me drawin crap a few times so like, if that interests you too, it's always nice to draw and listen to some music and just message other people in between 
> 
> (also tag yourself im my completely inconsistent writing style
> 
> OH YEAH, ONE LAST THINg, i started writing a oneshot smut fic,, should i post that when i get finished  
> and would anyone want to beta it b4 i did bc i've ne VEr written smut b4


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